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The Northrop Loom 



IS DESTINED TO 



Hfifiliie Weaii. 

THE COMMON LOOM IS ALREADY 
OLD-FASHIONED. 

Overseers and fixers will be glad to learn 

that there is nothing about this new 

machine to cause them 

extra trouble. 



ITS MOTIONS ARE SIMPLE. 

LET-OFF, TAKE-UP, Pick motions, bind- 
ers, temples, reed — 
all same as on old 
looms. 



New Attachmeiits Are : 

Filling changer, warp 
stop motion, and different 
filling-fork and shuttle. 

We will send pamphlet on application. 

GEO. DRAPER & SONS, 

Hopedale, Mass. 






TliE 



Whitiii Machine Works. 

WHITINVILLE, MASS. 

BUILDERS OF COTTON MACHINERY. 




Cards, Railway Heads, Drawing Frames, 

Spinning Frames, Spoolers, Wet and 

Dry Twisters, Reels, Long Chain 

Quilling Machines, and Looms. 



XKCE 



American "Vortex" Humidlller 

Has been adopted by the representative 

Northern and Southern Mills 

In many instances after a long trial of various 
forms of moisteners. It has no wearing 
parts, distributes a finer spray, and is 
of greater capacity than any 
other moistener. Can be ap- 
plied to prevent systems 
having a feed and 
return pipe. 

Making a Specialty of Humidiflcation. 

We are prepared to advise as to the best introduction 
and arrangement of a Humidifying system. 
The TJ. S. Aerophor Air-Moistening and Ven- 
tilating Company, PROVIDENCE, R. I. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 



R BOOK 



For all who are interested in sncli matters 



BY 

G. FV IVEY. 



Granite Falls, N. C. 






1896. 

0. p. Roberts, Printer, 

SHELBY, N. C» 




N*^ 



(\b 



^^\i\ 



Entered according to act of Cotlgress in the year 1896, 

by G. F. IVEYj 
in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington; 



"W.^ 



</ '1 % 



PREFACE. 

The writer of this work when learning to 
iix looms tried in vain to find some book 
which would help him over the many diffi- 
culties he daily encountered. He found many 
that dealt with Weaving from a theoretrical 
stand point, but none that would describe the 
troubles minutely and suggest the remedies 
with sufficient clearness for a beginner to 
Understand. 

In after years he found there was still a 
demand for such a book, and to fill this de- 
mand this work has been undertaken. 

The subject matter has been condensed as 
much as possible, so that a large amount of 
reading will not be necessary in order to 
obtain a few points^ at the same time noth- 



VI 

ing has been omitted that, in the opinion of 
the writer, would assist the reader in more 
fully understanding the subject. 

In the preparation of this work I have had 
the help of many friends but am especially 
indebted to Mr. J. W. Manly, of the Hen- 
rietta Mills, for valuable assistance. 

G. F. IVEY. 
Granite Falls, N. C, May, 1896, 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

CHAPTER I.— History of Weaving, Weaving in 
Egypt and India, Progress of the Art in 
England and the United States, Statistics 
of Spindles and Looms at the Present Time, 9-1 1 

CHAPTER II.— Cotton, Preparatory Process, 
Slashing, Sizing, Sizing Materials, Receipts 
for making Size, 12-21 

CHAPTER III.— The Plain Loom, Its Mechan- 
ical Construction, The Shedding Motion, 
Beating Up, Loose and Fast Reeds, The 
Picking Motions, Different Picking Mo- 
tions Described, 22-27 

CHAPTER IV.— Setting and Starting Up New 
Looms, Arranging the Plan, Belting, Set- 
ting the Motions, The Proper Warp Line, 
The Lease Rods and Harness, 28-46 

CHAPTER v.— Troubles a Loom Fixer Encoun- 
ters, Loom Slamming Off, Throwing Out 
the Shuttle, Thin Places when the Loom is 
Started, Thin Places when Loom is Run- 
ning, Knocking Off Filling, Cutting Filling, 
Filling Fork Catching the Filling. Selvage 
Breaking Out, Filling Fork Coming Off, 47-60 



Vlll 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER VI.— Defects in Cotton Cloth and 
how to Remedy Them, Roily Cloth, Button 
Holes and Bad Places in the Selvage, Kinks 
in the Filling, Reedj Cloth, Rough Sel- 
vage, Different Widths of the Cloth, 
Cocklej Cloth, Black Oil, 61-69 

CHAPTER Vn.— Weavers Calculations, To Find 
the number of Reed to Use, Numbering 
Cotton Yarn, To Find the Average number 
of Yarn for any Desired Cloth, The Best 
Numbers for Warp and Filling, To Find 
the Number of Yarn in a Given Piece of 
Cloth, To Find the Greatest Possible Pro- 
duction of a Loom, To Find the speed of a 
Loom From the Main Shaft, Examples 
Given for Each of the Above, 70-78 

CHAPTER VIIL— The Management of a Weave 
Room. The Overseer, The Loom Fixer, 
General Hints, The Value of Little Things. 79-90 

CHAPTER IX.— List of All the Mills in the 
Southern States Having One Hundred 
Looms or Over, Together With the Make 
of Loom, Class of Goods Manufactured and 
Name of Overseer of Weaving. 91 



CHAPTEPv 1. 



History OF Weaving. Weaving in Egypt 
AND India. Progress of the art in 
England and the United States. 
Statistics of Looms and 
Spindles at the pres- 
ent time. 



The history of cotton weaving dates back 
almost as far as the human race. In Egypt 
mummies wrapped in cloth have been found, 
that were entombed over 2000 years before 
the Christian era. In India also, the indus- 
try has been carried on for many hundred 
years. Although the methods used were ex- 
tremely crude, the results were such as 
would reflect credit on a much more advanc- 
ed state of civilization. In fact in one of 
the tombs of the Pyramids cloth has been 



lo Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

found having 150 threads to the inch, while 
in India trapestries were made having the 
most elaborate designs, outlined in colors 
that are still brilliant after hundreds of years. 
The famous Gossimer webs of that country 
were so light that it is said it took them live 
seconds to fall as many feet. 

Except in matters of detail the methods of 
weaving are practicallv the same to-day. 
The hand loom was used universally until 
1 77 1, and in some of the mountain counties 
of East Tennessee thev may still be seen in 
active operation. It was not until the be- 
ginning of the present century that the pow- 
er loom came to be successfully used, and a 
quarter of a century later the number of hand 
W'cavers largely exceeded those using the pow- 
er loom. For a long time a weaver attended 
only one loom, the only advantage over the 
hand loom being that it could be operated 
with much less labor. There was no stop 
motion for the filling, and as onl}^ a small 
quantity of yarn could be put in the shuttle 
at one time, constant watching was neces- 
sary. 

As earl}^ as 1678 there was figured and 
described in a French journal a machine 
"For making linen cloth without the aid of 
a w^orkman," the invention of a French 
naval ofiicer. In 1814 the first mill was 
built in America for both spinning and w^eav- 



Loom-Fix TNG and Weaving. ii 

ing. This was located at Waltham, Mass., 
and was closel}'" followed by others at Fall 
River and other points. From this small 
beginning the industry has grown until at 
the present time (1896) there are in the 
United States 1098 cotton mills containing 
15,070,649 spindles and 364,759 looms, dis- 
tributed as follovv^s : 

SPINDLES. LOOMS. 

New England States. . .11,152,761. 256,036. 

Mivddle A. States 1,675,870. 36,175. 

Soudiern States 2,047,860. 68,758. 

Western States 203,158. 3,790. 

In New England Fall River seems to be 
the center of the industry, while Philadel- 
phia is the center of the Middle Atlantic and 
Charlotte of the Southern States. 

iVs'the management, class of goods manu- 
factured, etc., of the Southern Mills are less 
likely to be known to those interested, in 
another chapter is given a list of all »Southern 
Mills having one hundred looms or over, 
with the number of looms, make of looms, 
class of goods manufactured and name of 
overseer. 



12 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 



CHAPTER 11. 



Cotton. Preparatory Process. Slash- 
ing. Sizing, Receipts for 
Making Size. 



Although this book is intended principally 
for loom-fixers and those interested in wea^'- 
ing, it ma}^ be advantageous to have at least 
a bird's-eve view of the material and the 
different processes for preparing it for the 
loom. 

Cotton is the fruit of the shrub Malva- 
CE^ genus GossYPiuM. It grows almost 
anywhere in the Torrid or Temperate Zones 
but for practical purposes its cultivation is 
limited to that area included between the 37 
degree North latitude and the 30 degree 
South latitude. With the exception of a 
few thousand bales raised in Russia, the 
world's supply comesfrom the United States, 
Egypt, India and Brazil. Of the whole 
amount consumed the United States furnishes 
about 80%. 

On account of its line, silky nature and 
long staple, a considerable amount of Egyp- 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 13 

tian cotton is imported into the United 
States for fine work. With this exception 
only native cotton is used. 

The quality of cotton judged by the length 
of staple, color and freedom from foreign 
matter, depends on the soil, weather and 
manner of handling. American cotton is 
classed as follows, the first named being the 
best. 

Middling Fair. 

Strict Good Middling. 

Good Middling. 

Tinges. 

Stains. 
In preparing the raw material for the loom, 
it is subjected to the following processes. 

Opening". — The cotton is taken from the 
bales (as many as the space will allow) and 
thoroughly mixed in order to blend the vari- 
ous qualities and allow the atmosphere to 
have free access. It is then put through the 
openers or breakers where the matted par- 
ticles are torn apart, and the seed, sand and 
parts of bolls are to a great extent removed. 
Pickers, — The pickers more thoroughly 
separate the fibers and remove the impuri- 
ties. The cotton is delivered in the form of 
a lap or roll, each yard having the same 
number of ounces. It then goes through a 
similar machine known as a finishing picker 
or lapper. 



14 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

Co^rdiUff. — I^ t^is process the dust and 
short fibers are removed, and the longer fi- 
bers straightened out and laid approximately 
parallel. From the cards the cotton is de- 
livered in the form of a loose rope called 
sliver. In what is known as the American 
process the sliver from five or more cards is 
run through a railwav head and au}^ in equal- 
ties which may exist are evened up. In the 
English process the sliver is taken direct from 
the cards to the next machine. 

I)rawillg» — ^^ this process, repeated once 
for medium and twice for fine numbers, from 
three to eight ends are run into one, thereby 
reducing unevenness, straightening the fibers 
and laying them parallel. 

Sllll)MllO^. — The slubber reduces the sliver 
in size and winds it on bobbins, a certain 
amount of tvs^ist being put in to hold it to- 
gether. It is now knawn as roaving. For 
very fine • work, the roaving is passed 
through three other machines similar to the 
slubber, known as intermicdiates, speeders 
and jack-frames. For numbers under 20' s 
only the slubbers and speeders are used. 

Spiiming, — ^^^ fi^^^ numbers this is done 
on mules, but for numbers under 50's the 
spinning frame is generally used. In this 
process the roaving is drawn out to about 
ten times its former length and wound on 



i 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 15 

small bobbins, enough twist being put in to 
make it strong and durable. If the yarn is 
for filling, it goes direct to the loom, but if 
for warp it goes to the next process. 

Spooling.— Although this is the simplest, 
it is one of the most expensive processes in 
the mill. The yarn as it comes from the 
spinning-frame is wound from a dozen or 
more bobbins on a spool, making a continu- 
ous length of several thousand yards. 

Warping or Beamingo —From several 

hundred spools, placed in a V shaped creel, 
the yarn is wound on a large beam known 
as a section beam. 

SlasMllg. — From these beams the yarn is 
passed through the slasher and after being 
drawn through the harness and reeds is 
ready for the loom. 

As the overseer of weaving often superin- 
tends the slashing also, a few words con- 
cerning the process may not be amiss. 

In the old hand loom the w^arp was either 
sized while in the form of hanks and dried 
in the sun, or was sized when on the loom and 
dried with hot irons or with a fan. With 
the latter method the weaver could weave 
only a few yards at a time, having to stop 
to size more warp. Later onw^hen the pow- 
er loom was invented, a better method was 
necessar}^, and what is known as the dress- 
ing machine was used. In principle this 



1 6 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

was the same as the modern slasher, except 
that the warp was dried by hot air instead 
of by contact with a hot surface. The pro- 
cess was slow but the quality of work equal- 
ed if not surpassed that done on the modern 
machine. 

In comparatively recent years the slasher 
has been invented. This consists essentially 
of four parts, viz : A creel to hold the section 
beam, a trou^^h to hold the sizing materials, 
two C34inders for drying the warp, and a 
headstock for winding it on beams for looms. 
The beams are placed in two rows in order 
to economise space. If one contains a small- 
er number of threads than the other, it is 
best to place it farthest back, as ends over- 
lapping are apt to cause trouble. The size 
box, sometimes called the saw box is of cop- 
per and contains a steam pipe to keep the 
contents at a boiling heat. The cylinders 
are also of copper and are kebt at a constant 
temperature by means of steam at from five 
to fifteen pounds pressure. The corser the 
yarn the greater will have to be the pressure 
as more heat will be required to dry the 
large threads. The head-stock has lease 
rods to separate each thread from the other, 
an adjustable comb to guide them on the 
beam, and an apparatus for driving the beam. 
This is driven from the main shaft, the mo- 
tion being communicated by friction in such 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 17 

a manner that the speed at which the warp 
is wound does not increase as the diameter 
of the beam becomes larger. 

Sizing Materials. — Almost every manu- 
facturer has a certain receipt for making 
size which he thinks better than any other, 
and is so zealous in guarding it, that any 
thing like a uniformity of materials or meth- 
ods is unknown. In general terms, howerer, 
sizingf materials are divided iato five classes 
according to their properties. 

1. Something to fill up the space between 
the fibers of the yarn and smoothly hold 
down the ends of any which may project 
from the surface of the thread. If this were 
not done the continual chafing by the har- 
ness and reed would soon cause the thread 
to break. For this purpose starch is almost 
altogether used in this country. Flour is 
sometimes used, but is not so good on ac- 
count of its liability to mildew. 

2. Some substance having deliquescent 
properties i. e. the property of absorbing 
moisture from the atmosphere. Cotton in 
its natural state has about 7 % of moisture. 
As the warp passes over the hot cylinders of 
the slasher, this is all driven out. Were it 
not for the glazed surface of the the thread 
it would again absorb this amount from the 
atmosphere. By using something to attract 
the moisture this hard coat is softened some- 

3 



1 8 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

what, and the whole thread is penetrated. 
There are many chemicals which do 
this, bat experiments have shown that 
Chloride of Magnesium gives the best results. 
When the northern or western winds are 
blowing the atmosphere is very dry, and of 
itself could not furnish sufficient moisture. 
To make up the deficiency the floor is fre- 
quently sprinkled and if appliances are at 
hand live steam is let into the room. Al- 
though this produces the desired effect, it is 
unhealthy and in some places is prohibited 
by law. In recent years an apparatus has 
been devised which moistens the air without 
raising the temperature, and most modern 
mills are provided with it. Chloride of Mag- 
nesium should be used cautiously where the 
cloth it to be calendered as the heat decom- 
poses it and the goods are injured. 

3. Some substance that will soften the 
yarn and make it pliable. Both flour and 
starch make the warp brittle and unsuitable 
for weaving. For a softening agent tallow 
has been found best for medium or heavy 
goods. Beef tallow is better than mutton 
and should be free from grit or other impuri- 
ties. If the quantity used is excessive it is 
likely to form mildew. For light weight 
goods paraffine is used. This is a mineral 
substance and is therefore free from the dis- 
advantage attached to the use of tallow. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 19 

Its cost, however, is somewhat greater. 

4. Antiseptics, i. e., something that will 
prevent mildew. This is very important, for 
if the goods are damaged and it can be shown 
that it was on account of the sizing the man- 
ufacturer is responsible for the loss. A few 
years ago a, consignment of print goods val- 
ued at over $200,000 was almost ruined by 
mildew, although in this case the size was 
applied after the goods were printed. Chlo- 
ride of sodium, alum, chloride of zinc and 
other substances have been used, but for gen- 
eral purposes the latter has been found to give 
the best results. 

5. Weight giving materials. The custom 
of siting warps so as to make them weigh 
more is very little used in this country and is 
generally considered dishonest. In England, 
however, the custom is very general, espe- 
cially on goods intended for export. Some- 
times as much as 150 per cent, is added to 
the goods in this way, but from 20 to 75 per 
cent, is the more common practice. If 
enough size is used to make the warp weave 
well, about 7 per cent is added to its weight, 
most of this being beat off during the process 
of weaving. If more weight is desired China 
Clay, a substance mined in England, is added 
with enouofh flour or starch to make it adhere 
to the yarn. 

In addition to what has been mentioned 



20 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

spirits of turpentine is sometimes added to 
keep the liquid from foaming, and blueing to 
eliminate a certain yellowish tint which is 
often present. 

For several years there have been placed 
on the market combinations of sizing materi- 
als embracing all the essential ingredients ex- 
cept the most bulky, and known as "sizing 
compounds." Manufacturers have found it 
cheaper to buy these than to buy the ingredi- 
ents and mix them themselv^es. 

Below is given several receipts for sizing 
which have been found to give good result:-. 

1 . For medium yarns with but little weight 

added. 

Starch, 40 pounds. 

Sizing compound, 4 " 

Tallow, 6 

Water, 120 gallons. 

Mix all together and boil about half an 
hour or until no starch is seen in suspension. 
This will add from 2 to 5 per cent, to the fin- 
ished goods owing largely to the condition ot 
the atmosphere in which it is woven. 

2. For sheeting and drills without using 
sizing compound.* 

Corn starch, .43 pounds. 

Tallow, .5 

Zinc, : i 

Water, 70 gallons. 

* This receipt was kindly furnished by Mr. Z. T. 
McKinney, Supt. Trion Mills, Trion, Ga. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 21 

Boil hard until it thickens. Then boil 
slowly one hour and thin down to no gallons. 
Keep boiling gently in size box while being 
used. 

3. For adding 10% in weight. 

Starch, 100 pounds. 

Tallow, 10 *' 

Water, 100 gallons. 

For additional weight add more starch and 

tallow with a little chloride of zinc 

4. For print cloth or such as are not cal- 
endered. 

Starch, 50 pounds. 

Tallow, 5 

Chlo. Magnesium 5 ** 

Water, 100 gallons. 

Mix the starch, tallow and water and then 
add the manganese chloride which has been 
previously dissolved by steam. 

5. For medium counts up to 50's. This 

also gives good results for prints. 

Starch, no pounds. 

Sizing compound, 14 " 

Tallow, 40 ** 

Water, 240 gallons. 

This will size nearly 5,000 pounds of warp. 
As there are 164 pounds of solid matter, were 
it not for the yarn stretching in the slasher, 
weight would be added to the extent of 4 % . 
Taking this into consideration, and also the 
amount knocked off in the loom, practically 
no weight is added. 



CHAPTER III. 



The Plain Loom, The Shedding Motion. 
Beating Up. Picking Motions. 



It is the intention of the writer to discuss 
weaving and loom-fixing only as applied to 
the plain loom. To attempt to describe the 
various mechanisms and weaves of the fancy 
loom would require a book much larger 
than this one is intended to be. 

The loom in itself is a simple machine, but 
to obtain from it the best results requires a 
harmony of arrangement and a delicacy of 
touch which it takes years of ex:perience to 
acquire. In addition to the frame it consists 
essentially of three parts, viz: An arrange- 
ment for raising each alternate thread, a 
mechanism for passing the shuttle containing 
the fillinof throusfh the divided threads, and 
a motion to beat up the filling in a regular 
order. With these three motions an inch or 
more of cloth could be woven, but to make 
the weaving continuous, there are arrange- 
ments for pulling the cloth forward as it is 
woven, letting ofi'the warp, keeping the cloth 
distended to a uniform width, stopping the 
loom when the filling breaks or is exhausted 
and stopping it when the shuttle is trapped 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 23 

between the reed and fell of cloth. These 
latter motions are called secondary or aux- 
iliary motions. 

StLSddillg'. — On the plain loom shedding 
is accomplished by means of cams placed on 
the cam-shaft which revolves half as fast as 
the main or crank-shaft. These cams are 
of a peculiar shape as they must cause the 
harness to open quickl}^, but remain open 
long enough for the shuttle to pass through. 
Both cams are of the same shape but differ 
somewhat in size, the one connected with 
back harness being from an eighth to a quar- 
• ter of an inch the . larger. The cams com- 
municate the motion to the harness by de- 
pressing treadles connected with the harness 
by means of jack-straps below and harness 
straps above, the latter passing over rollers 
attached to the arch. The roller or ball for 
the back harness is one-quarter of an inch 
larger in diameter than the other, as the back 
harness being farther away must be raised 
higher in order that the warp threads make 
the same angle where the shuttle passes 
through. If the angle formed by the front 
harness is the greater, the cloth will not look 
well, the better looking side being underneath. 
Picking Motions. — There are several 
kinds of picking motions used each having 
certain advantages. On English looms what 
is known as over-pick or Blacksburn-pick is 



24 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

used. In this the picker-stick is over the lay 
and at right angles to the direction in which 
they are placed in American looms. As the 
motion of the picker is parallel to the race- 
board, the trouble which often come from 
this cause are done away with. 

In very wide looms such as are used for 
weaving sail-cloth, what is known as the "pos- 
itive" shuttle motion is used. In this a strap 
passing between the race-board and warp 
carries the shuttle on supports so shaped and 
polished that the warp threads pass between 
them and the shuttle, the strap o{ course re- 
versing its motion at each change of the 
harness. On very narrow work such as 
ribbon, tape and suspenders, another form of 
positive motion is used. It consists of a 
gear on each side of the warp which engages 
with a rack on the under side of the shuttle. 
The shuttle is long enough so that at no time 
is it disengaged from both the gears, which 
of course reverse their motion as the shedding 
takes place. 

What is known as the "Lowell motion" is 
used by several loom makers. In this the 
pick-lever is of wood and is placed directly 
over the cam. It is connected with the 
picker-stick by means of a long strap passing 
under a roller. This motion has the advan- 
tage of being very simple and gives a light, 
easy pick. 



Loom-Fix iNG and Weaving, 25 

The motion most frequently used on Amer- 
ican looms is what is known as the '* Stearns 
motion." It is also called the "cone" pick on 
accnunt of shape of the roller on the pick lever. 
Aside from the cam, it consists of a lever hav- 
ing two arms at right angle to each other. 
The shorter one carries a roller and it directly 
over the cam, while the larger one commu- 
nicates the motion to the picker-stick by 
means of two straps and a connecting link of 
wood. This motion is capable of quick and 
easy adjustment and is popular among those 



using- it. 



The '* bat- wing" motion is also frequently 
used. It is similar to the Stearns except in 
the shape of the cam and position of the lever. 
It is not very well liked on account of its 
many parts, but is best for wide looms as a 
great deal of power can be had from it. 

There are various combinations of these 
motions having different names, but as all 
embody essentially the same principles it is 
unnecessary to mention them in detail. 

In selecting a loom, other things being 
equal, preference should be given to the one 
having the smallest pick-cams and gears on 
account of the momentum caused by large 
ones. If a loom never got out of fix there 
would be no objection to a large cam. In 
fact they would be preferable as a large cam, 
properly set, give a smoother pick, but when a 
4 



■26 LoOM-FlXIXG AND WEAVING. 

loom slams off, the lav and crank-shaft come 
to a sudden stop, while the cam-shaft has a 
tendency to go on, often breaking the teeth^ 
boxes and other parts. 

Beating Up. — When the shuttle passes 
through the shed it leaves a single thread in 
a diagonal line at varying distances from the 
cloth. This is beat up by the reed, the mo- 
tion being derived from the cranks on the 
crank shaft. The throw of the cranks varies 
from four to seven inches, being greatest for 
wide looms. It is very evident, that in a 
wide loom the shuttle has f^irther to go, and 
therefore requires more time in which to do 
it. To a certain extent this is g'ained bv 
changing the time of the harness, but the 
best possible advantage gained in this way 
would not be sufficient for a very wide loom. 
It is customary therefore for loom-makers to 
vary the throw of the crank in proportion to 
the width of the loom. It is desirable how^- 
ever to have the throw as small as possible so 
that the threads are not subjected to so much 
chafing as would be the case with more space 
in W'hich the reed could damage them. Man- 
ufacturers having any 'trouble on account of 
the shuttle not having- sufficient time to g-o 
through the warp can often remedy it b}" 
using a smaller shuttle. For a forty-inch 
loom the width of the shuttle should be about 
one-third the throw of the lay. For broader 



LooM-FixiNG AND Weaving. 27 

looms a little less and for narrower ones a 
little more. 

It is very evident that as the motion of the 
lay changes at each revolution of the crank- 
shaft it must stop a short tim.e at the end of 
each stroke. If the center of the crank-shaft 
were level with the pin connecting the crank- 
arm with the la}^, the pause would be of ex- 
actly the same duration at each end of the 
stroke, but as the shaft is several inches low- 
er, the lay will stop longer at the back center 
than at the front, thus allowing more time for 
the shuttle to pass through. 

For ordinary work the reed is firml}^ se- 
cured to the lay, but for goods where the cost 
of the material is great, such as silk, the 
reed is so arranged that if the shuttle should 
stop before reaching the opposite box, the 
reed springs back as soon as the shuttle strikes 
it and no harm is done. The ordinary protec- 
tor sometimes fails to act and to guard against 
such accidents and also to protect the loom 
from the jar caused by suddenly stopping it, 
this device has been invented. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Setting and Starting Up New Looms- 
Setting the Motions. 



When looms are shipped knocked down, 
the frames and sometimes the g-ears and pul- 
leys are bolted together in crates — as many 
in a crate as can be conveniently handled. 
All the smaller parts — -rolls, temples, rockers, 
etc., are boxed up, usually a hundred of each 
kind together. 

The plan by which the looms are to be 
placed is generally prepared by the engineer, 
but if not it is well enough to observe a few 
general points. The heavier looms, or if 
all are for tlie same weight of goods, the 
wider ones should be placed on the line of 
the main shaft and as near the source of pow- 
er as possible. If they are not, the torsion 
on the shaft will cause a vibration which of 
course is to be avoided as much as possible. 
The looms should not be crowded. With 
looms thirty-six inches wide there should be 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 29 

four in a set — two facing each other — and 
room to cret around each set. With narrow 
looms six may be placed together. In weav- 
ing any kind of goods the weaver often has 
occasion to get to the back of the loom and 
when they are so close together that he has 
to go up the alley three or four looms farther 
than is necessary, much valuable time is lost- 
What is gained in floor space is more than 
lost in production. 

In order to have two lines of looms run 
from the same shaft, every other loom must 
be set over six or eight inches in order that 
the delivery belts may not be together. 
Sometimes the crank-shaft is made longeron 
one of the looms. When this is done they 
can be set in a straight line across the room 
as well as length ways. This adds a great 
deal to the appearance of the room 
but is a bad plan except for very light 
looms, as the addition length puts a great 
deal of strain on the shaft. Some mill men 
run the line of looms next the wall from a full 
length shaft while others prefer a counter- 
shaft for ever}^ two looms. In either case 
the hangers should be as near the wall as 
possible so as to avoid falling oil. The best 
constructed hangers often give trouble from 
this cause, but if there is no loom directly 
underneath damage is not so likely to result. 
After arranging the plan by which the 



30 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

looms are to be placed, the next thing to do 
is to drop a plumb from the center of the 
main shaft at each end of the room. From 
the points where the plumb touches the floor 
measure out as far as the looms are to be 
and run a line from these two points. If a 
permanent line is desired, -take a straight 
edsre and scratch a line on the floor. The 

CD 

ends of the looms are then placed in 
position with their feet just touching the 
mark. The breast-beam, back-beam and 
girths are then firmly bolted on. The frame 
is now ready for leveling, which is usually 
done from the breast and back-beam. The 
cam-shaft is then put in followed by the crank- 
shaft. On some looms it is most convenient 
to put on the pick levers before putting in 
the lay, but if not, the lay should next be 
put in and after being connected with the 
cranks it makes no material difierence in 
what order the other motions are put on. 
Care should be taken that all bolts are tight. 
They are so apt to work loose that on a new 
loom they should be tightened as tight as 
they will stand. 

The shuttle boxes need more attention 
than they usually receive. When they leave 
the shop they are supposed to be ground and 
filed smooth. The writer served an appren- 
ticeship in a shop where looms are made and 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 31 

saw enough to convince him that it will not 
pay to trust to luck in this matter. Every 
box should be examined and any rough 
places carefully filed. It is a good plan to 
file the front side a little beveled so that the 
top will touch the shuttle a little before the 
bottom. This will prevent the filling being 
cut. The swell springs should be bent so as 
to have the greatest curviture in the center, 
graduall}^ reducing toward the ends. Where 
the shuttle boxes are very long, for several 
reasons it is best to have the greatest curvi- 
ture as near the mouth of the box as possible. 
It will not only cause the dagger to act 
quicker, saving power, but will commence to 
check the shuttle sooner and thus prevent 
the filling being knocked off. 

On ordinary looms, however, the spring 
should be bent uniformly from the center, 
for if the loom slams off and there is no 
brake or it fails to act, the shaft may run 
backwards enough to throw the reed against 
the shuttle the end of which may be in the 
selvage. If the spring is bent so that the 
bulge is nearer the back of the box, the loom 
will run all right, but w^hen the warp is off 
and the fixer examines the dagger, he finds 
the top of it beveled off as if by a file. This 
is because the pressure of the shuttle against 
the swell is relieved at the very beginning of 



32 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

the stroke and the dagger flies up and strikes 
the knock-off lever before the lay has time 
to get out of the way. 

Whenever it is practicable the loom belts 

should be crossed. Not only does this give 

more surface of contact with the pulleys, but 
the belts are kept clean. Where they are not 
crossed they should be cleaned with a piece 
of cloth at least once a week and some good 
dressing applied. Card-clothing should never 
be put on a belt and is not necessary where 
they are kept clean. All belts should be put 
on with the smooth side to the pulley. Not 
only is the friction greater but the belt lasts 
much longer. In a weave-room belts should 
not be laced. In the first place it takes too 
long and in the second place it gives too 
much trouble. The largfer ones should be 
cemented and the smaller ones fastened with 
hooks. They are cheap, durable and easily 
and quickly put on. Care should be taken 
not to hammer out the curve that is in 
them as it aids materially in holding them to 
the leather. In putting on a new belt the 
fixer usually puts it on any way it comes most 
convenient. The lap, where the different 
sections are cemented together should run 
with the pulley. If it runs against it is very 
.apt to give trouble and need repairing. If 



LoOM-FlXlNG AND WeAVING. 33 

the laps start up, about the quickest and best 
way to fix it is to tack it down with tacks 
that are just long enough to ^o through and 
clinch. 

When a loom has been run a long time the 
bore in the loose pulley wears larger, at the 
same time making the shaft smaller. This 
■allows the face of the loose. pulle}^ to drop be- 
low the face of the tight one, and when the 
belt is shifted its edge strikes the edge of the 
pulley, greatly damaging the belt. The best 
way to remedy this is to have a bushing put 
in the pulley, bored the right size. Wire is 
som.etimes wrapped around the shaft to in- 
crease its diameter but is not as good a 
method. 

Setting The Motions, 

Slieddillg Motion.-— This consists of the 
cams, treadles, harness and straps for con- 
necting the same. The proper adjustment is 
of great importance, for on it, to a great ex- 
tent, depends the appearance of the cloth. 
If, when the harness were level, the eyes 
would be on a level with .the whip-roll and 
breast beam, each shade of the warp would 
be of equal tension, and when the filling 
was beat up every two warp threads would 
be separate from the next two by a distance 
easily appreciable to the eye. It is desirable 
then to have the harness depressed so that at 
each pick the top shade maybe slack. When 



5 



34^. LooiM-'FixiiM'G AXD Weaving. 

this is the case the reed, when beating for- 
ward will take up the slack and spread it; 
over the f^ce of the cloth. To accomplish 
this the whip-roller is raised several inches 
higher than the race-board, and a strip of 
wood about an inch thick is put on the breast 
beam. The exact adjustrn:ent depends on the 
class of soods woven. When the rmods are' 
coarse or the filling beat up A'^ery close, there 
is no space between the threads anyway aijd 
no necessity for raising the vv^hip-roll or 
breast beam. An exception to this rule is al- 
so to be noted when weaving colored work 
or drills. In the former case the colors show- 
up more brightly, and in the latter the twill 
is made more prominent. 

It is not desirable to have the warp line 
out of level more than is absolutely necessary^ 
as the yarn is submitted to a greater strain 
and will break more easily. It may be said 
in this connection, that anything which 
tends to improve the appearance of the cloth 
by spreading the warp threads will put ad- 
ditional strain on the yarn. It is the business 
then of every good weaver to find the exact 
limit beyond which it would be unwise to go. 

The harness cam should be set so that the 
harness are level when the crank is just a 
little forward of the bottom center. If all the 
cams were made exactl}^ alike, it would make 
no difference which box the shuttle were in. 



L/OOM-FixiNG AND V7eaving. 35 

but throiurh the carelessness of macliinists 
the holes are often not in the right place and 
to have some uniformity it is customary to 
have the shuttle in the box nearest the pulley^ 
'There is an idea among some weavers that 
the treadle to be depressed should be the one 
nearest the side from which the loom is about 
to pick. This idea probably originated with 
the hand loom where such an arrangement 
Vv^ould be a convenience to 'he weaver, but 
in the power loom it is a matter of no conse- 
quence. Care should be taken that the back 
harness be depressed by the larger cam, and 
the cam.s should be put in all the looms uni- 
formly so that whether it be a right or left 
hand loom, the large cam is always to the 
left of the fixer when he is at the back of the 
loom. 

The front harness shculcl be set so that the 
threads are as near the race board as possi- 
ble without touching it, and the back harness 
;a trifle hi.o-her. If the threads are too low, 
thev will be chafed by the race board and if 
too high by the shuttle. The harness should 
open the same widith, or, in other words, the 
shade should be as wide wheii the front har- 
ness is raised as when the back is. To ac- 
complish this, besides observing the points 
previously mentioned, be careful to have both 
the harness balls of the same diameter, to 
have the harness straps the same thickness 



36 Loom-Fixing and Weaving'.. 

and the motion of the balls equally divided 
between the front and back straps. 

The Lease EodS.— These play a more im^- 
portant part in the shedding motion than is 
generally supposed. As their narae indicates- 
their primary object is to keep the lease, i. e.,. 
keep the threads for the different harness 
separate. This is necessaiy partly to keep 
them from being- tangled, but ior the most 
part in order to find the proper place for one 
when broken. If a loom is started up with- 
out the rods being in their place every fixer 
knows what will happen— -the threads will 
become tangled, obstruct the shed and the 
shuttle will be thrown out. In order to main- 
tain the relative position of the threads the 
ones through the front harness are put under 
the back rod, and those through the back 
harness under the front rod. A moments 
notice will show that if both rods were in the 
same place, the shade of the harness would 
vary only as they are a slight distance apart. 
As both cannot be in the same place the dif- 
ference is made up by having one thinner 
than the other. This equalizes the size of 
the sheds, and taken in connection with the 
different size of the cams, balls , etc, the har- 
ness can be set so that both sheds are of al- 
most exactly the same width 

If the rods are made of wood the threads 
soon cut groves which are apt to catch a 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 37 

passing knot and break the thread. They 
are sometimes covered with tin, but when the 
tin wears off the sheet iron underneath dis- 
colors the warp. It is best to have them cov- 
ered with black enamel as it is so hard as to 
resist the action of the threads, and so smooth 
as to make practically no friction. 

The Harness.— Too much stress can not 
be laid on the importance of having good 
harness. No one thing bothers a weaver 
more or takes more time than frequently re- 
pairing harness. In a mill of any size the 
cost of harness is a considerable item, and 
the superintendent noticing this will very of- 
ten have the overseer to patch up the old ones 
rather than buy new ones. Not only does 
this take a great deal of time but the 
chances are that a great many of the eyes 
will break in the loom causing loss of time 
and cloth. 

Two harness are all that are necessary for 
plain v/eaving, but a great many manufac- 
turers prefer using four, the eyes being 
spaced only half as close together. Most of 
the threads that break in the loom are broken 
by chafing against spooler knots, and if the 
eyes are not crowded it is obvious that there 
would be less trouble. All weavers agree 
that the four harness system is the better if 
it were not for the additional cost. New 



^8 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

harness should be thoroughly greased with 
tallow before using. 

Picking Motion. — This consists essentially 
of a cam, pick-lever and picker-stick with 
straps for connections. Its proper adjustment is 
of the utmost importance, for without it, it is im- 
possible to obtain satisfactory results. The cam 
should be set so that the shuttle will begin to 
leave the shuttle box when the crank lacks 
just a little of being at the top center. Tlie 
loom is then said to be picking soon. The 
exact position of the cam varies under differ- 
ent conditions. For a fast loom, i. e., one 
making 175 or more picks per minute the 
cam should be set so as to pick earlier than 
for a loom making only 150. If the shuttle 
box is short or if the goods woven is fully 
as wide as the reed space, the cam must be 
set a little later as the shuttle starts so close 
to the cloth, not giving the harness time to 
open the shed. In this case the shuttle must 
receive a stronger blow in order to get it 
through the shed in time. 

For a new" loom the cam should be set at 
such a distance from the bearing of the shaft 
that its outer edge will be just flush with the 
outer edge of the pick-ball. As the cam and 
ball wear, the cam must be placed nearer the 
bearing in order to obtain the same amount 
of power. 

The pick-lever should be set as close to 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 39 

the cam as possible. There is usuall}^ a 
flangre or some Drominent mark on the loom 
frame with which the back bearing should 
come even. When the loom is running the 
tendency is to knock the bearing up, thereb}^ 
preventing the cam from exerting its full 
power. For this reason the bolts holding the 
bearing should be large and v^^ell tightened. 
The best picker-sticks are made from 
straight-grain, second-growth hickory and, 
if properly made and adjusted should last at 
least a year. The lug-straps (the straps con- 
necting the lever with the picker-stick) 
should be so adjusted that when the loom 
picks the picker does not come within two 
inches of the bumper. In other words lengthen 
the strap as much as possible and still have 
the loom to run. The strength of the blow 

necessarv to throw the shuttle from one box 

■J 

to another, is known as the power, and the 
rule of all rules among loom fixers is to use 
as little as possible. Too much power means 
broken picker-sticks, worn out straps, bat- 
tered pickers and three times the trouble and 
attention that would otherwise be necessary. 
Besides thig the extra jar and vibration will 
tend to loosen the bolts and screws in every 
part of the loom. How to make a loom run 
without too much power is what takes so 
long to learn. As every loom fixer knows, 
it takes about as long to learn this trade as 



40 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

any other. The exact position of the cams, 
pick-levers, swells, etc., can only be determ- 
ined by long experience. A large part of 
the secret is having the protection right and 
keeping it right. A great many fixers will 
put the dagger in the center of the slot in the 
knock-off lever, thinking it may work a little 
either way and still be all right. If the lever 
is pulled forward to the position it occupies 
when the loom is running the dagger v/ill 
strike it nearly an eighth of an inch higher 
than when the lever is pushed full back. 
This is owing to the fact that the dagger, 
being fixed to the lay, describes the arc of a 
circle, the radius of which is equal to the 
length of the sword, and shows that a very 
little margin when the looms is stopped, 
becomes sufficient when it is running. 
Besides this the fingers on the protecting rod 
and more especially the plates on vv^hichthey 
press wear rappidly, letting the dagger up a 
little. If it was originally set in the center 
of the slot, it soon gets entirel}^ over it and 
the result is a smash. 

Pickers. — Fo^^ plain w^eaving the pickers 
are usually made of leather, well tanned and 
cemented. When putting one on a loom 
place it against the picker-stick at the ex- 
treme end of the lav and bring the shuttle 
against it with sufficient force to make a 
small puncture in the leather. With this as 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 41 

a center cut a conical hole in the picker the 
shape of the shuttle point. After putting on 
the loop with sufficient packing to make it 
tight, drive it on the picker-stick until the 
center of the hole is exactly level with the 
point of the shuttle, then bring the picker 
forward against the bumper and if the hole is 
still level or a little higher than the shuttle 
point it is all right, but under no circumstan- 
ces should it be lower. If it is too low it can 
be made higher by inserting a small leather 
wedge between the rocker or shoe and the 
parallel tongue. If it is too high a wedge 
similarly placed, but on the under side, w^ill 
bring it to a proper level. On some looms a 
set screw with a check-nut is on the rocker 
bv means of which the picker can be ad- 
justed. 

It is desirable that the hole in the picker 
be exactly level with the shuttle as it leaves 
the box, but for fear of having it too low, it 
is customary to have it a little high — say from 
one-sixteenih to one-eighth of an inch. In 
theory the shuttle should make its own hole 
in the picker, when it is certain to be in the 
right place, but in practice it is almost sure 
to rebound unless the shuttle boxes are made 
tighter, which is objectionable for several 
reasons. The shuttle also has a tendency to 
knock the picker up, which for obvious rea- 
sons should be avoided. 
6 



42 L00M--FlXING AND WEAVING, 

Filliilg Stop Motion.— This consists of a 
cam on the cam shaft, a rack on the lay 
between the reed and shuttle box, a 
filling-fork mounted on a slide, a lever for 
pushing the shipper handle from the retain- 
ing notch, and a jointed lever tor communi- 
cating the motion of the cam to the filling 
fork. When the shuttle is in the home box 
(the one nearer the pulley) the cam should 
be set so that the lever just begins to rise 
when the crank is on the front center. The 
hook on the fork should then clear the 
snake-head by one-tenth of an inch. 

If the fork is adapted for the work it has to 
do, it is not necessary for the prongs to pro- 
ject beyond the rack, but just get through. 
If the fork is too heavy the prongs must be 
further forward. When this is done however 
it draws off too much slack, and is liable to 
kink the filling or have it catch on the fork. 
The fork should either present a square front 
to the filling or be slightly concave. If it is 
rounding the filling sometimes goes over it 
and the loom stops. If the prongs are too 
short the filling occasionally gets under it 
with the same result 

Take Up Motion.— ^n this motion there is 
an excentric either on the cam or crank shaft 
which by means of a lever operates a ratch- 
et gear which in turn is connected with the 
sand roller by a train of gears. There is also 



LOOM-FIXING AND WEAVING. 43 

a device connected with the filling-fork, by 
means of which the loom fails to take up for 
several picks after the filling gives out. 

When the shuttle is in the box farthest 
from the pulley, the excentric should be 
set so that the lever begins to go forward 
(toward the excentric) just a little before the 
crank reaches the front center. The loom 
will take-up when it is in other positions but 
will often take up one tooth in the gear when 
it is not desirable, for instance, when the 
weaver is getting the loom ready for chang- 
ing the shuttles or draVv'ing in a brokan 
thread. The stud holding the catch should 
be placed about in the center of the slot. 
Some take-up levers may be a trifle longer 
than others, and to suit varying lengths, the 
stud may be moved backward or forward. 

Let Off Motion.' — There are several kinds 
af let-off motions, all however, being classed 
under two heads : the friction and the auto- 
matic. The former usually consists of a 
rope or strap passed around a drum on the 
beam head. One end of it is fastened to a 
lever to which a weight is attached. Bj'this 
means a constant strain is kept on the warp 
which lets off uniformerly whether the diam- 
eter be great or small. The motion is rather 
out of date and is not liked very^well as 
damp weather effects the rope unfavorably. 

Among the automatic motions the Bartlet 



44 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

is tlie one most frequently used. Although 
rather complicated, if properly adjusted it 
gives very good results. When the harness 
are level, the spring rod connected with the 
whip roller by a clutch lever, and the up- 
right lever connecting the spring rod with 
the lower rods should be as nearly perpen- 
dicular as possible. The collar on the round 
rod should be halfway between the ends of 
the two rods, and the front lever straight out 
from the ratchet gear. Care should be taken 
that the two short shafts are exactly at right 
angles to each other and the worm exactly 
in the centre of the worm gear. When the 
friction strap is off every part must work 
perfectly free. 

In any let-off the parts should be so ar- 
ranged that the weavers cannot alter the ten- 
sion. If they can do it the}^ very often will, 
as by so doing, they can weave more and 
have less trouble on account of broken 
threads. 

Teinpl6S. — Within the last few years what 
is known as the ring temple has been put on 
the market and is giving very good results, 
but it is safe to assume that the Dutcher 
temple will be used for many years to come. 
In setting temples it is of great importance 
to have them tight on the breast-beam. When 
it is of iron there is no trouble but when it is 
of wood a place must be chiseled out an 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 45 

eiprhth of an inch deep, just tbe width of the 
base and an inch or more longer. With two 
screws in the slot the temple will be held 
perfectly firm, at the same time the length of 
the mortice allowing for a slight difference 
in the width of the cloth. The trough should 
be as near the race-board as possible without 
touching it. The heel should then be set so 
that the lay touches it when the reed is about 
one-eighth of an inch from the trough. There 
need not be more than a quarter of an inch 
vibration. More than this not only wears the 
temple unnecessarily but the cloth begins to 
leave the burr before it can get back to hold 
it. This will cause a rough selvage which 
spoils the appearance of the cloth. 

Further Details.— in a new mill the 
looms, or at least a part of them are ready to 
run before the warps are ready, for the rea- 
son that with new machinery it will take a 
week or more for the cotton to get from the 
picker room to the weave room. During this 
time it is well to have the looms running 
bare or " limbering up '' as it is expressed. 
This may last a week if necessary, during 
which time the loom should be frequently 
oiled and the bolts tightened When a 
warp is ready, if all the motions have been 
properl}^ adjusted, there should be very little 
trouble in weaving it. The greatest difficul- 
ty will be with the shuttles. Before putting 



46 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

them in the loom they should be carefully 
matched both as to size and weii^ht. Everv 
fixer has noticed that a loom will sometime-s 
run all right with one shuttle, while with the 
other it gives no end of trouble. This is 
usuallv owing to a difference in size, but 
often to a difference in weight, as of course 
more power is required to throw a heavy 
shuttle than a light one. Where the swells 
are of iron it is a good plan to scrape the 
shelac off the sides of the shuttles as it not 
only causes them to rebound but combines 
with minute quantities of iron and forms a 
kind of gum which is liable to discolor the 
filling. For the first day, or perhaps longer, 
the shuttle boxes will have to be very tight 
and more check on the picker-stick than 
would otherwise be necessary. One great 
trouble about new looms is that the overseer 
or fixer is so anxious to see them running 
and making cloth that not enough time is 
taken to properly adjust everything. It will 
have to be done at one time or another and 
it is much better to do it when there is noth- 
ing in the way. As is said before all nuts and 
screws should be as tight as possible. In anv 
new machinery and especially if there is any 
wood work, the bolts are more liable to work 
lose than in machines that have been run 

some time* 



CHAPTER V. 



Troubles A Loom-Fixer Encounters. 



Loom Slaming Off.— in the vast majority 
of cases when a ftxer is called on to fix a 
loom the trouble is slaming or banging off, 
i. e., the shuttle fails to reach the opposite box 
in time, the protector acts, and the loom sud- 
denly stops. The most frequent cause is 
either the picker being worn out or a lug 
strap being broken or stretched. If anything 
is broken or a bolt out of place a mere novice 
should see it at once and it is unnecessary to 
say anything concerning it. By a little 
watching, with the hand on the knock-offlever 
or frog one can readily tell which end of the 
loom is causing the trouble, and govern 
themselves accordingly. The pick-cam may 
have sliped or, if the loom has been running 
some time, the wear of the gearing will have 
the same effect, i. e., will cause the loom to 
pick late. If the pick is all right, next ex- 
amine the dagger and protecting rod and be 
sure they are working properly. Some- 
times the rocker-shaft box becomes loose, 



48 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

causing the lay to move up or down as the 
loom picks, and will almost invariably cause 
it to slam off. Some of the screws in the 
shuttle-box may be loose. This would make 
the box larger, and by nutralizing the bind- 
ing effect of the swells cause the shuttle to 
rebound after striking the picker. As the 
picker connot then get a full stroke, the 
shuttle fails to get in the opposite box in time 
and the loom slams. 

In damp weather the same effect is brought 
about by a different cause. The damp air 
causes a kind of gum to form on the shuttles 
and shuttle boxes and by increasing the fric- 
tion prevents the shuttle entering the box far 
enough. • If the shuttles are wiped with oily 
waste and afterwards with clean waste the 
trouble is often evercome. If this does not 
remedy it, sand-papering the shuttles will 
have a good effect. They are often scraped 
with a knife, but this is a bad practice, as it 
tends to make the shuttles of unequal sizes. 
The check on the picker-stick may not be 
sufficient to deaden the momentum of the 
shuttle, and it will rebound. Again it may 
be too much and prevent the shuttle entering 
freely. 

As the parallel block is worn the check is 
increased, while the power is diminished. 
Loom-fixers keeping this in mind can often 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 40 

save themselves much trouble. Sometimes 
the heeKspring is wound so tight, that so 
much power is absorbed in overcoming it 
that not enough is left to throw the shuttle. 

The constant picking of the loom will 
gradually knock the pick-lever boxes up 
from their true position. A very little dis- 
placement will cause a large loss of power. 
As is stated elsewhere the boxes should be 
even with the flange or feather on the loom 
frame. 

When a loom picks, bjr watching closely, 
the lug strap may often be seen to jump up 
an inch or more on the picker stick. As the 
power is greater the lower the strap works 
on the stick, it is desirable to keep it where 
it is put. Several devices have been invent- 
ed for this purpose but as yet nothing satis- 
factory has been done- About the best way 
is to loosen the bolt on the short strap and 
incline the strap upward. This has the de- 
sired effect but shortens the life of the strap. 
If it could be worked perfectly straight there 
is no doubt that it would last twice as long. 

Occasionally the key in one of the gears 
becomes loose, and the lost motion is commu- 
nicated to the pick-lever and causes trouble. 
Generally when the key becomes loose it 
comes out and the trouble is readily located, but 
7 



50 Loom-Fixing and Weaving, 

sometimes it stays in place, especially where 
tin has been used to pack it, and a careful 
examination is necessary to discover the dif- 
ficulty. The key may. also be loose in the 
driving pulley, but when this is the case it 
can usually be detected by an uneven, jerking 
motion in the running of the loom. 

The belt very often causes a loom to run 
badly. A slack belt will not exert sufficient 
power and a tight one, if too tight, will make 
friction in the crank-shaft and cause more 
trouble than a slack one. If the belts are 
kept clean and a good dressing applied every 
Saturday afternoon, it will help matters won- 
derfully. The shipper sometimes fails to 
keep the whole width of the belt on the tight 
pulley, and of course does not give satisfac- 
tory results. 

As a loom runs, the gears gradually wear 
out, especially where the pick comes. As 
the teeth become thin the motions act later 
with reference to the crank, and from time 
to time have to be moved up. This wear is 
most excessive where the gear is small in 
diameter. Where large gears are used there 
are more teeth in contact at one time and 
consequently less wear. Before the teeth 
become thin enough to be in danger of 
breaking, the pick should be changed. This 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 51 

is done by loosening the box of the crank- 
shaft, raising the shaft until the gears are 
out of pitch, and then turning the lower one 
four or five teeth. Of course the pick-cams, 
harness cams, etc., will have to be moved in 
proportion. If the top gear has to be changed 
it must be removed from the shaft and turned 
to another key- way of which there are usually 
three already cut. When the gear is com- 
pletely worn out and is replaced by a new 
one, the edges of both should come in the 
same line. Beside looking much better, it 
will cause them to wear longer. Very often 
the new gear has a larger bore than the old 
one, and when the key is driven in it throws 
one edge farther over than the other and 
causes the gear to " run out" as a machinist 
w^ould say. This can be avoided by using a 
bushing of tin. 

There is a collar on the end of the cam- 
shaft which should be kept tight. Nothing 
wears out a gear faster than to run with a 
quarter inch or more end play in the shaft. 

Throwing Out the Shuttle*— The picker 

may be too low, either at the beginning or 
end of the stroke. The harness may be too 
low or not timed exactly right. The w4re 
brackets holding the lease rods in place may 
be bent. The rocker-shaft boxes may be 



52 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

loose letting the lay down too low. The bot- 
tom of the shuttle may be worn in a curve, 
or the temple may be too high off the race- 
board. Very often one shuttle will be thrown 
out while there is no trouble with the other. 
This may often be caused by the points not 
being the same height from the base. The 
base may be square but one end wearing a 
little more than the other will throw that 
point too low. The shuttle box being too 
loose will ca-use the shuttle to be thrown out 
especially where the loom is a fast one. 
Where the race-board is iron, the screws 
holding it to the lay sometimes work out, 
allowing the board to bulge up. 

It is the custom in most mills to have the 
weavers thoroughly clean the loom when the 
warp runs out. Occasionally in their zeal to 
do it well they take off the harness rod and 
when they put it back, get it on backward. 
The shuttle will be thrown out at every pick 
and the average fixer who has never seen 
anything of the kind, will work several hours 
before he discovers the trouble. 

Tliin Places When the Loom is Started .-- 

This is often caused by bad spinning. When 
the filling runs out there is sometimes a 
thread left long enough to lift the fork several 
times before the loom, stops. Sometimes the 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 53 

prongs of the fork become bent and strike 
the rack, lifting the fork after the filling is 
exhausted. Again the fork may appear all 
right when the loom is stopped, but the bear- 
ings of the roker-shaft having become worn 
the lay goes down a little. When the loom 
picks it rises again and the points of the 
prongs catch on the bottom of the slot which 
is cut in the lay. The finger on the breast 
beam rod may be too far from the fork slide. 
This will prevent the slack motion from 
working properly. The sliding dog may not 
be free to slide far enough. This motion can 
be set so as to let off three notches every 
time the loom stops. This is enough for all 
ordinary cases, and in fact for fine cloth is 
too much. 

TMn Places When the Loom is Eimiimg. 

— This is a trouble which will worry a fixer 
about as much as anything he encounters. 
While he is watching it the loom may run 
all right, and he can see nothing the matter, 
but if he leaves, it is not long before he is 
called back. The case is further aggravated 
when the loom runs all right for several 
hours, makes a thin place, and runs several 
hours more. The trouble is sometimes 
caused by the filling being cut at the off 
box with a sufficient end to catch as the shut- 



54 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

tie goes back, lifting the fork and keeping 
the loom running. If this is not the 
cause it is nearly always a set screw being 
loose. It may be in one of the gears or worm 
on the let-off motion, or in the piece which 
connects the lower rod with the upright 
lever. If all the set-screws are well tighten- 
ed, the parts oiled and the take up gears 
cleaned out, there is not likely to be any 
further trouble. 

Knocking Off Fillmg.— This trouble is 
very often caused in the spinning room, 
where the filling is either not wound on the 
bobbins sufficiently tight or the taper is too 
short. Where this is not the case something 
is the matter with the loom. The shuttle is 
driven with such force against the picker 
that when its momentum is suddenly checked 
the filling will leave the bobbin on the same 
principal that the passengers are thrown for- 
ward when a train is suddenly stopped. 

To economize floor space manufacturers 
sometimes order looms with short shuttl e box- 
es. This is poor economy, as such looms are 
much more likely to knock the filling off than 
those with longer boxes. It will take but a 
short time for the waste bill to counterbalance 
any saving in space. If a loom is fitted with 
shuttles of the right hand, the bobbin will 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 55 

always point from the pulley end of the loom, 
and it is in the opposite box that the filling 
is knocked off. To remedy the trouble the 
shuttle must be stopped as gently as possible. 
This is done, 1st, by springs connected with 
the swells and 2nd by the check on the pick- 
er-stick. If it can be avoided the shuttle- 
boxes should not be tightened, but if it is 
necessary the spring on the protecting rod 
should be used rather than the swell spring. 
Under ordinary conditions if the picker- 
stick is three inches from the end of the box 
when the shuttle strikes it will be sufficient, 
but for some inexplicable reason some looms 
require more power to run them than others, 
and a four and even five inch check is nec- 
essary. Sometimes the check is increased 
by tightening the heel-spring and sometimes 
by loosening it, owing largely to the condi- 
tion of the parallel-block and the length of 
the picker-stick below the rocker. On the 
Whitin loom the best results are obtained by 
having the point of the stick a trifle lower 
than the parallel tongue. As a last resort 
the heel strap can be put betv^een the tongue 
and the picker-stick. Tightening the spring 
will then almost invariably give all the check 
desired. The only objection to this is that the 
picker-sticks are worn out or at least cut off 
at the bottom sooner than they otherwise 



56 Loom-Fixing and Weaving . 

would be. Springs of various shapes are 
sometimes placed on the under side of the 
lay to check the picker, but they usually 
damage the stick and cause more trouble 
than they are worth. 

A short or stiff loop-strap will sometimes 
prevent the picker-stick having as much 
check as it otherwise would and a lonerer one 
can be used to advantagfe. Sometimes the 
plate on the swell of the off shuttle-box 
has worn more than the other and is not 
pressed as tightly against it. When this is 
the case the swell does not bind the shuttle 
as quickly and part of its checking effect is 
lost. A new plate may remedy the trouble, 
but if not, the fingers on the protecting rod 
will have to be moved. 

Cutting Filling. — ^This is a trouble that 
does not occur very often, but when it does, 
it is sometimes hard to stop. A bruised 
place on one of the steel rolls of a spinning 
frame some times causes it. Every time the 
back traverse brings the yarn to the place it 
is cut, not enough perhaps to cause the end 
to go down, but enough to break it in weav- 
ing. A splinter in the thread tube (of new 
shuttles) or a bruised place in the shuttle 
box will often cause it. The shuttle may be 
so worn that the grove is not deep enough or 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 57 

the picker may throw the shuttle in a zigzag 
motion, catching the filling between the shut- 
tle and mouth of the box. Often the temple 
is set too far forward, and when the loom is 
at front center, the filling is caught between 
it and the reed. There may not be sufficient 
check, and the shuttle rebounding forms a 
kink which is caught between the swell spring 
and shuttle. Where filling-forks having 
square prongs are used, the sharp corners 
will occasionally catch the filling in the rack 
and cut it. Sometimes the rivet in the shut- 
tle will work out and cut the filling by catch- 
ing it against the swell spring. 

Filling Fork Catching the Filling— This 

trouble can usually be traced either to the 
shuttle or the fork. When the shuttle strikes 
the picker and rebounds the loom does not 
always slam off'. If the power from that 
end is sufficiently great the loom will run 
even though the shuttle rebound two inches 
or more. When this is the case it can readily 
be seen that the filling will loop or kink, 
and as the space between the reed and shutle- 
box is the only place where the kink can form, 
it forms there and the fork catches it as the 
shuttle goes back. Sometimes the fork is 
so set that the prongs project from an eighth 
to a quarter of an inch beyond the rack. Of 
8 



5 8 LOOM-P^IXING AND Weaving- 

course it carries the filling with it and when 
the motion of the lay reverses, a kink is 
formed w-hich is caught by the ever ready 
fork. If the prongs are too high, or if one 
is longer or farther forward than the others ^ 
trouble is likely to result. 

SelyageBreakingOut— A bad picker, 

rough shuttle or the harness or temple being 
improperly set usually cause this trouble , 
but more obscure causes are the ones that 
bother the fixer. In the process of sizing, a 
heavily weighted roll is used to press the 
warp tightly on the loom beams. All beams 
are not exactly of the same length, conse- 
quently the roll does not always fit. When 
the beam is longer than the roll the warp 
piles up on the selvage and that part of the 
beam being of a greater diameter than the 
rest, the yarn is of course strained, and more 
likely to break in weaving. 

As several selvage threads can be left out 
without aftecting the appearance of the cloth, 
the weavers sometimes throw them back un- 
til they become long enough to draw in 
without tying. When they are drawn in 
they are often so crossed and tangled that 
all the size is worn off before they get past 
the lease rods, and the chafing of the harness 
and reed break them. The harness may be 



L'ODM-FlXING AND WEAVING. 59 

fso timed or the pick so set that the shuttle 
rubs against the selvage threads not only 
rubbing off the size, but taking out the twist 
causing the tiireads to break readily. 

In what is known as a well balance cloth, 
the filling is a trifle iiner than the warp, but 
in certain kinds of goods the filling is the 
coarser. When this is the case a very little 
tension in the shuttle will make the cloth 
narrower than the reed and as the reed 
beats against it in trying to make the cloth 
as wide as it is, the selvage is cut out as if 
by a knife. If the warp were stronger than 
the filling, the filling would be cut making 
what is known as button holes. 

Through the carelessness of the slasher- 
tenders a warp sometimes has very little or no 
size on it, and the fixer is at his wits end to 
know liow to weave it. Lowering the whip- 
roller will help matters, and if the principle 
trouble is at or near the selvage the picK 
motion should be set a little later so as to 
have the shed fully open when the shuttle 
enters it. 

Filling Pork Coming Off.— A piece of 

wire driven in the breast beam and bent 
over the slide will prevent this but it is not 



6o Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

mechanical. In this as in everything else 
there is a cause for every effect, and in this 
case the cause is the snake-heads being too 
high. If it is lowered so that the fork is 
level when resting on it, there will be no 
more trouble. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Defects in Cotton Cloth and how to 
Eemedy Them, 



RoLLY Cloth. Button-Holes and Bad 

Places in the Selvage. Kink in the 

Filling. Reedy Cloth. Rough 

Selvage. Varying Widths. 

CocKLY Cloth. Black Oil. 



Eolly Olotll. — This is sometimes known 
as wavey or uneven cloth. It is usually 
caused by the friction-strap on the let-oif 
motion becoming oily and slick. The set- 
screws in some of the gears or worms may 
be loose, or the bolts holding the let-ofF 
frame to the frame of loom may be 
loose. Some of the working parts may lack 
oil or be clogged with waste. The spring 
holding the pawl to the ratchet gear may be 
broken or worn so as to become weak. A 
filling box may have been run against the 
worm shaft bending it so that it binds in its 
bearings. The upright lever may be so low 



62 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

or so high as to cause the spring rod to bind. 
The gudgeons on the warp beams may be 
loose or bent. 

When a new warp is put on having a di- 
ameter of say eighteen inches there is a 
leverage of nine inches tending to turn the 
beam. It sometimes happens that the fric- 
tion-strap is not sufficient to hold it tight 
enough to let-off evenly. More friction can 
be had by putting a piece of leather back of 
the gudgeon and bolting the locks tight. 
Loose locks will allow the weight of the 
beam to rest on the let-off shaft preventing 
it from working freely. The set screws in 
the worm or gears may be so short that 
the head will strike the casting before the 
point strikes the shaft. The spiral springs 
may be so choked with waste as to lose 
their elasticity. 

Button-Holes; Bad Places in the Selyage. 

— Button-holes are caused by there being 
too much tension in the shuttle. This will 
make the cloth narrower than the reed, and 
the reed in trying to distend it will cut the 
filling. 

If the bobbin is neither too low nor too 
high. The tension is caused by waste on 
the bobbin or by a lump of it in the thread 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 63 

tube. There are a number of causes for bad 
places in the selvage. The picker may be 
too low. The harness or harness cams may 
not be set right. The harness ma}^ be too 
loose or a few eyes lower than the rest The 
bottom of the shuttle may be worn in a 
curve or the temple may be too high off the 
race board. It may be too high on account 
of the bearing of the rocker shaft being 
loose or badly worn. If it is simply worn 
the temple may be lowered by packing with 
a piece of paste-board. The spindle in the 
temple may be rusty preventing the burr 
from working freely. 

Kinks in the Filling.— The loom may be 
all right and the kinks caused by there being 
too much twist in the filling. All such should 
be steamed but if not, a piece of leather may 
be tacked on the lay at the mouth of the 
shuttle-box or flannel tacked in the shuttle 
in front of the thread tube. -If the shuttle 
has an adjustable tube the tension may be 
regulated to suit the filling. 

The filling fork may protrude too far 
through the rack, taking the filling with it 
and causing it to kink when the tension is re- 
moved. The shuttle rebounding will have 
the same eflfect. The writer has known fix- 
ers to work on shuttles for several hours 



64 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

when a minutes work on the fork or a few 
seconds taken in tightening the shuttle box 
stopped the trouble at once. The rolls in 
, the spinning-frame may be too close togeth- 
er for the length of the staple. When this 
is the case, however the kinks may be seen 
id the filling before it is woven. 

Eeedy Cloth, — This term is sometimes 
applied to defects caused by defective reeds, 
but in a general way it is applied to cloth 
where the warp threads seem to be separated 
from each other, or in other words where the 
cloth does not have a good cover. The 
whip roller or strip on the breast beam may 
be too low. (see p. 33) The harness being 
set to open too late will also have a ver}^ 
marked effect. Where the harness have 
been frequently repaired some of the eyes 
may be higher or lower than the rest. The 
reed or pitman straps may be too loose 
or the lease-rods may be too close to the har- . 
ness. The nearest one should be at least 
six or eight inches away. Uneven yarn will 
of course make the cloth uneven as a loom 
has not yet been invented that will make 
good cloth from poor material. 

EoUgll Selvage.— The harness may not 
be set right. Having the shed too small 
when the shuttle passes through will cause 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 65 

the shuttle to twist the outside selvage 
threads, or if the picker is too low, it will 
throw the shuttle up and twist them when the 
harness are all riijht. The twisted threads 
in themselves would make a bad selvage but 
when they are twisted tight the twist con- 
tracts them and gives the selvage a puckered 
appearance. The temple may be too far 
from the fell of cloth when the reed strikes 
it, or the burr on the temple may not work 
freely. The diameter of the warp beam may 
be a little greater at the selvage causing it to 
let off more (see page 58) . The drawing in 
girls will sometimes skip eyes, and when 
they come to the selvage, tie in additional 
ones to make up the loss. These are very 
often higher or lower than the others and 
will make bad work in the loom. 

'Occasionally a loom is found where the 
hole in the harness cam is not exactly in the 
right place. This will cause the shedding to 
be imperfect and often cause a bad selvage. 
If the cam is loosened on the shaft and turn- 
ed half around, it will often stop the trouble. 

Varying Widths.— When a thread is bro- 
ken in the warper the attendant does not al- 
,ways catch the broken end promptly but 
pieces it up one, two or three laps short. 
This will of course break in the slasher and 

9 



66 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

often 25 or 30 yards run before it is noticed. 
All these threads are missing both in the reed 
and harness, and it is no unusual thing to see 
from two to a dozen loose ends coming up 
as the warp is woven. Some of these are 
used when a place comes up where there is 
no thread to be found. Others are fixed up 
in a dozen different ways to keep them from 
tangling the other threads. When a thread 
is missing and there are no spare ones it is 
quite customary to take one from ihe nearest 
selvage. A great many weavers seem to 
have an idea that selvage threads are of no 
special importance and when they break out 
will sometimes break them off for hours at a 
time rather than draw them in. All this 
makes a difference in the width and sorely 
perplexes the finishers. 

Again as the beam becomes smaller the le- 
verage tending to turn it becomes shorter and 
a greater tension is on the warp. This makes 
the cloth weave narrow. One shuttle may 
have more tension in it than another. This 
in itself would make but little difference, but 
taken in connection with other things will 
cause the width to vary. It is a good plan 
for the fixers to measure the cloth on every 
loom at least once a day and keep it at a 
uniform width. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 67 

Cockly Cloth. — This is caused by weav- 
ing with insufficient tension. The cloth 
looks raw and rough, and the filling threads 
seem to be raised on the surface. This is 
more likely to occur after damp weather. As 
the moisture contracts the warp, the fixers, 
in order to keep the cloth at the standard 
width, let out the tension spring and neglect 
to take it up again when the atmosphere be- 
comes dry. The weavers will often let out 
the tension if it is so arranged that they can 
alter it. 

Black Oil. — on discolored by being mixed 
with particles of iron will injure the sale of 
any cloth, although if it is to be bleached or 
printed it does not make so much difference. 
It usually gets on the cloth through the care- 
lessness of the slasher tenders or weavers 
and most overseers hold them responsible. 

Sometimes a half inch or more of the fill- 
ing will be black about six inches from the 
seivasje. This comes from the shuttle, more 
especially new ones. The shell-lac or the 
tannin in the wood combines with minute 
particles of iron and forms a black compound 
which blacks the filling, always from the off 
shuttle box. A little oil put on the shuttle 
and thoroughly rubbed off with waste will 
remove the gummy substance and stop the 
trouble. 



68 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

Occasianally small black specks are ob- 
served scattered along the cloth about mid- 
way between the selvages. These come 
from the treadle stand and can be prevented 
by covering it with cloth until the surplus oil 
is absorbed or the warp becomes too small 
to be reached by the flying particles. 

A solution of oxalic acid is often applied to 
the larger spots, combining \yith the iron, 
forming oxalate of iron, which being solua- 
ble in water can be washed ont. Unless 
thoroughiy removed it is liable to damage 
the cloth by corrosion. 

PiuisMng. — Cloth which has been woven 
in the best manner and from yarn carefully 
prepared is often complained of by commis- 
sion merchants as not being first-class. The 
truth of the matter is that the best of cloth is 
often seriously injured in the finishing process. 
Take the calenders for instance. If the rolls are 
too hot the cloth will be hard and wirey and 
feel as if the yarn had been twisted too much. 
If there is not enough steam on the cloth the 
effect will be the sarne. Too much, however, 
will contract the cloth and give it a slightly 
puckered appearance. Again there may be 
too much tension on the back-beam. This 
will cause the cloth to be stretched too much 
and spoil its appearance by pulling the filling 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 69 

threads so that they will not cross the warp 
at right angles. The greatesfcare should be 
had throughout the entire process of finishing. 
If the cloth is tacked it should be done neat- 
ly. All loose threads should be pulled off. 
No little things shows to worse advantage 
than to open a bale of cloth and find the end 
a mass of tangled threads. " The bales should 
be put up neatly and branded carefully. A lit- 
tle trouble in this direction will pay well, for, 
other things being equal, a man will invari- 
ably choose goods which are put up with the 
most care. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Weayers's Calculations. 



To Find the Number of Reed to Use. 



Eule. — Subtract four from the number o^ 
warp threads per inch and divide the remain- 
der by two. 

Example. — There are 60 threads per inch 
in the warp the goods to be 36 inches wide, 
what reed is to be used? 

60—4=56. 

As there are two threads to the dent, di- 
vide by 2 which makes 28 dents per inch. As 
there are 60 threads per inch and as the 
goods are to be 36 inches wide there will be 

60X36=2160 theads. 

In practice, however, goods that are to be 
36 inches wide are woven 37 and stretched 
to 36 in the finishing. We must then take 

60X37=2220 threads. 

Now as there are two threads to a dent we 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 71 

divide by two which gives mo dents and 
as there are 28 dents per inch we also divide 
by 28 which gives 39.6 inches as the length 
of the reed. Now there are say 8 double 
selvage threads at each end. This would 
be 16 threads, 8 dents 



— -== — =.28 of an inch 
28 7 



shorter, which being subtracted leaves 39.32. 
To this is usually added a quarter inch 
guard at each end making a total length of 
39.82 inches. 

If the sley is finer than 65 subtract 2 % in 
addition to the four and proceed as above. 

Example. — There are to be 70 threads per 
inch, goods to be 40 inchs wide what reed is 
to be use? 

70— (4-1-2%) =64.6 

64.6^2=32.3 dents per inch. 

70X41=2870 threads 

2870-^2=1435 dents 

i435-^32.3==^44-42 
44.42-i-.5=44.92 inches 

long, neglecting selvage. 



72 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

Numbering Cotton Yarn.— The number- 
ing of cotton 37^arn is based on the principle 
that 840 yards of No. I's weigh one pound, 
which is divided into 7000 grains and is 
called a hank. The finer the yarn the great- ^ 
er the number of yards in a pound and the 
higher it is numbered. For example No. 5's 
will contain Ave times 840 yards to a povmd 
and No. 20's twenty times. 

To find the weight of a piece of cloth, 

THE No. OF YARN, WEIGHT AND PICK 
PER INCH BEING GIVEN. 

Example.— Picks per inch 64. Warp 
threads per inch 64. Width 28 inches. 
Filling No. 30's. Warp No. 29's. What is 
the weight of the goods? We first ^et the 
number of yards of yarn in a yard of cloth. 
As the goods are 28 inches wide each thread 
of filling will be 28 inches long and as there 
are 64 in an inch atid 36 inches in a yard 
we have 

28x64X36=no of yards 

of filling. There are 36 inches in each warp 
thread, 64 to an inch and 28 inches wide. 

36x64X28=No. of yards in warp. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 73 

In one pound of No. 32's there are 32X840 
3'^ards, which reduced to inches gives 

32X840X86. 

• For the weight of filling we then have 

• 64X28X36 



32X840X36 
Working out by cancellation this equals 

.0666 of a pound. 
For the weight of warp 
S6X 64 X28 



29X840X36 

Adding .0666 

•0735 



•0735" 



1401 



This is the weight of one yard in decimals 
of a pound. 

Adding 6 % for contraction in weaving 
w^e have .1485 which divided into one gives 
6.7 yards to the pound. 

There is no fixed rule for contraction in 
weaving as it is greatest on coarse yarn and 
10 



74 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

fine counts of reed. From 6 to 7 per cent 
though is about right — the latter figures per- 
haps being nearer correct. 

To FIND THE AVKRAGE NO. OF YARN REQUIRED 

FOR CLOTH OF ANY DESIRED WIDTH y 
WEIGHT AND PICK. 

Example. — Warp 60 threads to the inch. 
Pick 56. Width 36 inches. Weight 4 yards 
to the pound. What is the number of yarn ? 

We first get the number of yards of yarn 
in a yard of cloth. 

Warp - - - - 60X36=2160 
Filling - - ~ - 56X36=2016 



Adding 4176 

Contraction 7 % .07 

* 292.32 

Which being added makes 

4468.32 

As one yard weighs only on e quarter of a 
pound, we must multiply by 4 to get the 
number of 3^ards in a pound. 

4468.32X4=17873-28 

Dividing by 840 we get 21.28 average num- 
ber of yarn. In this calculation we assume 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 75 

that the cloth is woven 36 inches wide and 
weighs 4 yards to the pound as it comes from 
the loom. If it woven wider and afterwards 
stretched, proper allowance must be made 

for it. 

If the number of warp and filling were the 
same 21.28 would be the correct number, as 
summg that no weight is added in sizing. 
To have a well balanced piece of cloth, how 
ever, it is necessary to have the spaces be- 
tween the threads of equal distance both in 
vv-arp and filling. Owing to the fact that 
there is not so much twist in the filling as 
there is in the warp, the diameter of the 
thread is greater and consequently the filling 
should be a little finer. It should also be 
finer owing; to the fact that the tension on it 
in weaving is not so great as on the warp 
giving it a better chance to spread. Taking 
these things into consideration the filling 
should be about three or four numbers finer 
than the warp. 

To FIND THE NUMBER OF YARN IN A GIVEN 
PIECE OF CLOTH. 

Pick out the threads and lay them end to 
end until there are iii yards (one half yard 
being allowed for the contraction in weaving 
which does not all stretch out) . Weigh these 
and divide their weight in grains into 100, 



76 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

which is one-seventieth of a pound as twelve 
yards is one-seventieth of a hank. The re- 
sult will be the number of the yarn. 

Example.—iii yards of tilling weigh 4^ 
grains, what is the number of yarn? 

100 tl,^ 



If the warp has been sized enough to in- 
crease its weight it should be first washed in 
hot water to remove the sizing materials. 

To find the greatest possible produc- 
tion for A LOOM, THE SPEED, NUMBER 
OF PICKS PER INCH, AND NURBER OF 
HOURS PER WEEK BEING GIVEN. 

Multiply the speed per minute by 60 and 
the number of hours and divide the product 
by the number of picks per inch and '^6. 

Example. — a loom runs 66 hours per 
week at 175 picks per minute on goods hav- 
ing 64 picks per inch. What is the best 
possible production ? - 

175X60X66 

=^300-7 

64X36 

yards per week. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 77 

It is customary to deduct from 8 to 12 % 
for necessary stopping for changing the shut- 
tle, repairing the warp, etc. Supposing the 
above goods to contain 45 yards to the cut. 
How many cuts should a weaver make per 
week deducting 8 ^ ? 



300.7 
.08 



24.056 

Subtracting, 

300.7 
24 



276.7 



Dividing, 



45)276.7(6.1 
270 



67 

45 



Answer, 6.1 cuts per week. 

To FIND THE SPEED OF A LOOM FROM THE 
MAIN SHAFT. 

Multiply the number of revolutions of the 
shaft per minute by the diameter of the pully 
on the shaft and divide bv the diameter of 
pully on the loom. 



78 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

Example. — The shaft makes 300 revolu- 
tions per minute. The pully on shaft is S 
inches in diameter and on the loom 15 inches. 
What is the speed of the loom? 

300X8 
=160 

picks per minute. 

An ordinary plain loom without shuttles^ 
belt or straps costs from $40.00 to $60.00. 
$5o.oo being the average. From one-eigth 
to one-sixth horse power is required to run 
one. Thus a room containing 600 looms 
would require 100 horse power if 36 inch 
looms, and 80 if 30 inch running at the same 
speed. In either case 20% should be added 
for shafting. 

The size of a loom is reckoned according 
to the width of .goods it will weave. It is 
possible, however, by using all the reed 
space to weave goods 37^ inches wide on a 
36 inch loom. This extra space is given in 
order to weave the goods wide and after- 
ward stretch them to the required width. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 79 



MANAGEMENT OF A WEAVE EOOM. 



The Overseer. — Anyone who is at all 
familiar with cotton manufacturinof will ad- 
mit that the success of a cotton mill depends 
on the overseers and to a great extent on the 
overseer of the weave room. The quality of 
an overseer depends on his ability to do 
good work, as large a quantity as circum- 
stances will allow, and at the least possible 
cost. In the weaving room the finished pro- 
duct is cloth, and it should be the aim of 
every overseer to get every yard possible 
subject to the above conditions. It is a mis- 
take, however, to suppose that it takes years 
and years of hard work to qualify a man 
for this position. It must must be admitted 
that for some men it does take that long and 
some are really never qualified. It depends 
altogether on the man. It is absurb to sup- 
sose that a man well educated, with a taste 
for reading and study, and not afraid of 
work, will take as long to advance as one 
who spent the time in the mill when he 
should have been at school, and who strives 
to rise through main strength alone. It is 
a deplorable fact that so few educated men 



8o Loom-Fixing and Weaving, 

choose mill life as their business. There are 
plenty who after leaving school are v/illing 
to work in the office, wear a standing collar 
and direct the movements of others. What 
we need are educated 3^oung men who are not 
afraid to dofF,a spinning-frame or run a set 
of looms. These are the ones who will make 
intelligent and progressive overseers and su- 
perintendents. Education will not take the 
place of common sense or experience. No 
man can make a successful overseer who is 
not able to do anything he requires others to 
do, but it is not necessary for him to spend a 
lifetime acquiring that knowledge. I know of 
a man who when applying for a position as 
overseer stated that he had woven eight 
years, fixed looms six and been second-hand 
five. He did not make near the success, 
however, as his successor who had been in 
a weave room only three years. The differ- 
ence simply was this : The first man work- 
with his hands while the second used his 
brain. He never saw an efiect without look- 
ing for the cause, and was not satisfied until 
he found it. He took several texile papers 
and read them carefully, and when a position 
was open he was ready for it. 

The best overseer is not the one who is 
always in a hurry, who never has time to do 
anything thoroughly, who talks the loudest 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 8i 

and brags the most. He must have perfect 
control of his help and have then* confidence 
both in regards a man and a workman. To 
do this he must understand his help. Hu- 
mane nature difters as much as inanimate 
nature. A good overseer will know just how 
to approach ever3^one. To one he will be kind 
and obliging, to another apparantly careless 
and indifferent, while a third may require 
tlie most careful watching. 

The Loom Fixer.— The loom-fixer like 
the overseer must be a man of sound judg- 
ment, ability and energy. In almost any 
mill several grades of loom-fixers will be 
fninid. There are some, who possessed of 
no education and but little common sense, 
accomplish by hard work what others do 
with half the labor. They plod along day 
by day and 3'ear by year never getting out 
of the old channel and never expecting to. 
In process of time they become good fixers, 
but never anything more. By seeing a loom 
act in a certain way a great many times, 
they leam to recognize the trouble 
and know how to remedy it, but 
never think what cause brought about the 
effect. 

Again there are fixers who are intelligent, 
have good judgment and are good fellows as 
II 



82 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

the term is generally applied, but who have 
not sufficient energy to run a section of looms. 
They are always resorting to make-shifts. 
They will tinker with a *battered picker a 
quarter of an hour rather than go to the 
bench after a new one. They will put a 
leather washer under a bolt head, rather than 
get a bolt of the proper length. These are 
the men who finding that a jack-strap has 
stretched until it is too long tie a knot in it 
to take up the extra length. They move 
about with such deliberation that the weavers 
catch the contagion and the production suf- 
fers. They are always at leisure and ready 
to crack a joke with a weaver or the overseer. 
If they ever get above a section it is owing 
to influence rather than merit. 

To the third class the right man belongs. 
He is the one who looks for a cause in every- 
thing. He does not tear a loom all to pieces 
just because it does not iTin to suit him. 

When a loom has been running all right 
and suddenly refuses to do good work, the 
chances are that some one thing is out of 
order. A good fixer will locate the trouble 
and remedy it without altering every motion 
on the loom. He reads the best papers on 
textile subjects and keeps right up with the 
times. He knows the names of all the parts 
of a loom and can change the number of 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 83 

picks per inch without referring to the table 
of gears. This fixer will become an over 
seer and perhaps a superintendent, while his 
associates are cursing their luck and ascrib- 
ing his success to influence. 

General Hints.— a loom should be well 

oiled. Every weave room should have a 
man whose business it is to attend to this 
matter and who is held responsible for it. 
Most of the parts can be oiled while the loom 
is running, but the crank-arms, swells, etc., 
must be oiled at noon, the oiler going to his 
dinner from 11 to 12 or from i to 2. Good 
oil should be used for it has long been de- 
monstrated that it is not economy to use 
cheap oiL 

A ver}^ good plan for a weave room is to 
have a flag of tin to every set of looms which 
is to be raised when a loom it out of fix. 
This flag is fastened to the arch by a staflf of 
hoop iron and is painted so as to attract at- 
tention. This is a much better arrangement 
than having the weaver to hunt up the fixer 
or to wait for him to pass. Not only does 
the fixer know how his looms are running, 
but the overseer can very accurately judge 
by the number of flags that are up if a fixer 
is ccmpetent or not. 

The looms should be kept as clean as pos- 



84 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

sible. Not only do dirty looms tend to 
make bad cloth by the lint getting into the 
shed, but a weaver feels better and can work 
better with neat and tidy surroundings. For 
the same reason the weavers should be en- 
couraged to dress neatl}^. Where there is 
any choice in the matter engage only those 
who are neat and clean in their appearance, 
for they will be much more likely to be neat 
and careful about their work. In some states 
it is unlawful to clean looms while they are 
running, but where it is done it is best to use 
a long handled brush made of slasher waste. 
It's use is perfectly safe even in the hands 
of an inexperienced person, and there are 
usually several hands about the room who 
can make them during their spare time. The 
proper time to fix a loom is when it shows signs 
of being out of fix, but the best time look it 
over carefully and tighten the nuts is when 
the warp is off. The weaver should then 
clean it thoroughly, a,nd the fixer look it 
over, see if the pickers are in good order^ 
examine the protection and if any parts are 
worn out renew them. No other time is so 
good in which to oil every part thoroughly. 

Value of Little Things. 

Superintendents and managers often won- 
der why it is that with two mills, situated 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 85 

perhaps in the same town, having similar 
machinery, and manufacturing the same 
class of goods, at the end of the year one 
will pay a better dividend than the other. 
Of course they know it is in some part of 
the management, but exactly what they are 
unable to determine. In looking over the 
possible causes they are very apt to overlook 
little details which in the long run make a 
vast difference. In most mills the ability of 
a loom fixer is measured by the amount of 
cloth lie is able to get from the looms under 
his charge within a stated time. This amount 
is measured, not in yards but in cuts, and the 
average fixer is always looking for a chance 
to get a cut, careing little if it be several 
yards short of the standard number. When 
a beam is nearly empt}" it is considered a 
smart trick to cut off the warp while there 
are still several yards unwoven. This yarn, 
costing perhaps 20 cents per pound placed 
on the beam, is thown in the waste box and 
sold for 4 cents per pound, a clean loss of 
16 cents, neglecting its increased value when 
woven. In a mill of 800 looms on five yard 
goods with the warp running three weeks, 
there would be something over iioo warps 
off per month. If two yards are w^asted on 
one-fourth this number, there would be a 
loss of 660 pounds a year, w^hich if it were 



86 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

woven would be valued at nearly tw^o hun- 
dred dollars. This in itself is no great sum, 
but taken in connection wdth other things 
makes a great difference. 

When goods having less than 60 picks 
per inch are woven, the weaver for fear of 
making a thin place when the filling is 
changed, raises the take-up lever, letting the 
ratchet gear back from tw^o to five teeth in 
addition to what are let off by the slack mo- 
tion. In most take-up motions each tooth 
means two picks, and a very little calculation 
will show that in a large mill several hun- 
dred yards of cloth are lost each day. A 
much better plan to prevent thin places is to 
have the weavers start up the loom with 
one hand while with the other under the 
breast-beam, the}^ hold back the cloth while 
several picks are being made. Not only is 
more cloth made by this method, but after a 
little practice it can be done quicker and the 
weavers prefer it. 

Nearly all mills have some sort of a recep- 
ticle in connection with the filling box for 
saving the clean waste, but all do not insist 
upon the weavers using them. Swept up 
with the lint this waste is worth half a cent, 
properly saved and collected from four to 
five cents. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 87 

Canvas or duck lug-straps have almost 
superceded the use of leather. When one 
breaks it is sometimes at the bend but more 
often where the bolt goes through. Instead 
of thowing it away it can be cut off and 
made to do excellent service as a short strap. 
Every time this is done from five to seven 
cents are saved. The fixers would generally 
prefer to throw them awa}^ as they are stiff 
and hard to put on, but once in position the}^ 
will last a long time. 

In any mill and on any loom picker-sticks 
will break. The good fixer, knowing that 
it will not do to put them in any sort of a 
way, takes his time and makes a good job 
of it. Very often it won't fit and he must 
take it back to the bench and file it a little 
or exchange it for another. When he finally 
gets it in position and starts to tighten the 
heel bolt, he finds that the threads are stripped 
or the bolt turns. He must then make 
another trip to the bench for a hand-vice or 
another bolt. During all this time not only 
is the loom stopped, but others which are 
needing attention are stopped also. Every 
fixer should be provided with one or more 
spare rockers with parallel tongue, bolt, etc., 
and keep a stick fitted up ready for the loom. 
Only a few minutes will then be necessary 
to replace a broken stick and at his leisure 



88 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

he can fit up another ready for the next 
break. 

In the United States where the spinning 
and weaving are iisuall}^ carried on in the 
same building, the looms are of necessity 
placed on the ground floor. Almost invari- 
ably a hill or some building shuts oft^ a part 
of the light from the ver}-^ place w4iere it is 
most needed. As this state of affairs can not 
be very well remedied, the overseer should 
see that he gets all the light possible. The 
walls should be frequently white washed and 
the windows kept clean. A man occasion- 
ally employed doing this will save many 
times his wages in increased production and 
better cloth. The way the window curtains 
are put up has a great deal to do with the 
light. They are often simply tacked to the 
top of the frame, and when not needed are 
twisted and folded on a nail or hook. Even 
when this is done at least 20^^ of the 
window surface is still covered and at the 
top where it is most needed. A much better 
plan is to have the curtains wide enough for 
the whole window and stretched across the 
top on a tight wire. ' The edges are secured 
to a cord passing through a screw-eye at 
each side. When the cord is pulled one way 
the curtain is drawn across the whole surface 
of the window and when pulled back is 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 89 

drawn entirel}^ away and can be folded in a 
narrow space at the side. 

When tlie hours of labor are long, say 
eleven or twelve hours per day, from 15 to 
20 per cent of the work must be done by ar- 
tificial light, and it is of the greatest impor- 
tance that it be as abundant as possible. The 
old rule (made where the hours were short) 
was to allow one sixteen candle power light 
to every four looms. At that time the lamps 
cost eighty cents each, while at the present 
time much better ones can be had for nine- 
teen cents. It is certainly bad management 
to economize in this direction. There should 
be a lamp between every tvv'O looms, and the 
additional expense will be covered in a few 
months bv better cloth and more of it. There 
are some mills that have a few hundred 
looms in a dark basement where for half a 
day or more they have to weave by electric 
light. The overseers of such mills have all 
noticed that with the looms running at the 
same speed, and wdth the same class of 
weavers, the production was at least 10% 
less than from the well lighted sections. I 
have spoken of this matter among the little 
things, but it is really of the greatest impor- 
tance and under no circumstances should be 
neglected. 

In running a weave room or in fact any 
12 



go Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

room in the mill, in order to obtain the best 
results, it is absolutely necessary to keep the 
machinery running. I know an old super- 
intendent, who on giving some rules to his 
son placed this at the head of the list. I re- 
member that he once had a small boy perch- 
ed on a step-ladder for nearly half a day 
pouring water on a hot hanger rather than 
stop ten minutes to adjust it. Again, I have 
seen a whole mill stopped in order to tighten 
a pully which ran only two looms. Of 
course there is sometimes a method in such 
madness, as some mill men will stop five 
minutes in order to make up ten. When 
this is done the help are sure to notice it and 
get "even" in some way. It is better to lace 
a belt at night rather than have a dozen 
looms standing while it is done in the day 
time. Without entering into a discussion of 
the subject the writer has always found it 
best to draw the line at Sunday work. 

Only a few of the many little things which 
need attention have been mentioned- The 
wide-awake overseer will always be on a look- 
out for such things, and in the long run the 
wisdom of his course will be apparent, for suc- 
cess is the reward of vigilence. 



CHAPTER IX. 



List of all Southern Mills Having One 

Hundred Looms or Over, Together 

WITH THE Number of Looms, Make 

OF Looms, Class of Goods 

Manufactured and Name 

OF Overseer of 

Weaving. 



ALABAMA. 

DWIGHT MF'G CO., Alabama City, 
looo Whitin looms. Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. Chas. Maguire. 

ANNISTON MF'G CO., Anniston. 320 
Lewiston looms. Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. James T. Powell. 

EUFAULA COTTON MILLS, Eufaula. 
322 looms, 321 Lowell and i Crompton. 
Sheeting, Shirting and Towels. Chas. F. 
Faulkner. 

DALLAS MF'G CO., Huntsville. 750 
looms. 704 Colvin, 32 Whittin and 14 
Bridesburg, Brown and Bleached Sheeting 
and Shirting. Wm. Huiclaliife. 



g2 Loom-Fixing and Weaving, 

MONTGOMERY COTTON MILLS, 
Montgomery. lOO Lowell looms. Osnaburgs. 
W S Clark. 

PRATVILLE COTTON MILLS, Prat- 
ville. 140 looms. Osnaburgs. John Burns. 

MATTHEWS COTTON MILL CO. 
Selma. 385 looms, 155 Lowell, 130 Colvin 
and 100 Whitin, Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. Early Grover. 

TALLAHASSEE FALLS MF'G CO., 
Tallahassee Falls. 389 looms, 200 Whitin, 
91 Pool & Hunt, 90 Lowell and 8 Gilbert. 
Sheeting, Shirting, Drills, Ducks and Osna_ 
burgs. B. F. Barnes. 

TUSCALOOSA COTTON MILLS, Tus-^ 
caloosa. 222 looms. Plaids. Robt. Wilson. 

TUSCALOOSA MF'G CO., Tuscaloosa. 
321 looms. 145 Woods, 90 Bridesburg, 84 
English and 2 Lowell. Plaids, Domestics, 
Cottonades, Towels and Drills. R. A. Clark. 
ARKANSAS. 
MAMMOTH SPRINGS COTTON 
MILLS, Mammoth Springs. 134 looms, 
62 Bridesburg. 56 Wood and 16 Empire. 
Plaids, Tickings, Towels, etc. I. E. Dunn 

GEORGIA. 

ATHENS MF'G CO., Athens. 318 
looms, 208 Woods, 90 Bridesburg and 20 of 
other makes. Checks, Stripes, Kerseys and 
Cottonades. A. B. Harper. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 93 

PRINCTON MF'G CO., Athens. 100 
Lowell looms. Osnaburg and Ducks. John 
J. Lee. 

ATLANTA COTTON MILLS, Atlanta. 
540 looms. 308 Lewiston and 232 Whitin. 
Sheeting and Drills. R. T. Williams. 

EXPOSITION COTTON MILLS, Atlan- 
ta. 1 159 looms. 640 Mason, 480 Bridesburg, 
38 Woonsocket and i Lowell. Sheeting, 
Shirting and Drills. C. S. Wilkinson. 

FULTON BAG AND COTTON MILLS, 
Atlanta. 450 looms. Sheeting and Bags. 
T. R. Pierce, Supt. 

AUGUSTA FACTORY, Augusta. 824 
Lowell looms. Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. Mm. Lanhamn. 

ENTERPRISE MF'G CO., Augusta. 928 
Lowell looms. Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. S. Wiseman. 

IS^TTA MILLS, Augusta. 150 Thomas 
looms. Plaids and Stripes. Jas. Brotherton. 

JOHN P. KING MF'G CO., Augusta. 
1203 looms. 1200 Lowell and 3 Mason. 
Sheeting, Shirting and Drills, C. M. Har- 
rington. 

SIBLEY MF'G CO., Augusta. 2218 
looms. 1109 Whitin, 729 Lowell and 380 
Crompton. Drills, Sheeting, Ducks, Plaids, 
Checks, Aw^nings, Cheviots. John Kuneton. 



94 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

CLEGG MF'G CO., Columbus. ii6 
looms. 50 Crompton, 2^ Woonsocket, 14 
Knowls and 16 Bridesburg. Towels and 
Bed Spreads. J. T. Bray. 

EAGLE AND PHCENIX MF'G CO., 
Columbus. 1400 looms. 924 Crompton, 50 
Mason, 426 Bridesburg, Woods, Gilbert and 
Thomas. Ginghams, Plaids, Cottonades, 
Demins, Cheviots. Towels, Ticking, Sheet- 
ing and Shirting. T. W. Tillman. 

HAMBURGER COTTON CO., Colum- 
bus. 194 looms. 140 Crompton, 18 Lowell 
and 36 other makes. Plaids, Stripes, Tick- 
ing, Towels and Qiiilts. Chas. W.Jones. 

MUSCOGEE MF'G CO., Columbus. 478 
looms. 240 Crompton, 218 Bridesburg, 11 
Jacard and 11 English. Checks, Demins, 
Cottonades, Ticking, Towels and Qiiilts. 
B. C. Bell. 

SWIFT MF'G CO., Columbus. 369 looms. 
220 Bridesburg, 114 Crompton, 23 Knowles 
and 12 Lowell. Plaids, Ticking, Denims, 
Sheeting and Bed Spreads. Chas. W. Han- 
cox. 

CROWN COTTON MILLS, Dalton. 
256 looms. 164 Lowell and 92 Colvin. 
Ducks and Osnaburgs. J. T. Wills. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 95 

SWIFT'S COTTON MILLS, Elberton. 
172100ms. 170 Whitin and 2 Lowell. Fine 
Sheeting. Chas. H. Lord. 

GRIFFIN MF'G CO., Griffin. 200 Cromp- 
ton looms. Sheetings, Drills, etc. Charles 
Wheeler. 

KINCADE MF'G CO., Griffin. 216 
Crompton Looms. Towels, Kerseys, Cotton- 
ades, Ticking, etc. John L. Davidson. 

JEWELLS COTTON MILL, Jewells. 
121 Lowell looms. Brown Goods. George 
Ethridge. 

UNION COTTON MILLS, laFayette. 
208 Stafford looms. Sheeting, Drills and 
Towells. Gus F. Roberts. 

RACOON MF'G CO., Racoon Mills. 
104 looms. 56 Lowell and 48 Bridesburg. 
Sheeting and Drills. J. V. Allman. 

ROME COTTON FACTORY, Rome. 
108 looms. 88 Lowell and 20 Whitin. Ducks, 
Osnaburgs and Sheeting. Enoch Rhoden. 

ROSWELL MF'G CO., Roswell. 120 
Lowell looms. Brown Sheeting. W. H. 
Faulkner. 

TRION MF'G CO., Trion Factory. 694 
looms. 436 Whitin and 258 Lowell. Sheet- 
ing and Drills. J. Wheeler Mears. ^ 



96 Loom— Fixing and Weaving. 

LANETT COTTON MILLS, West Point- 
632 Lowell looms. Sheeting, Drills and Sat- 
teens. T. L, Bowers. 

WEST POINT MF'G CO., West Point. 
224 looms. Duck. T. Young. 

KENTUCKY. 

HENDERSON COTTON MILLS, Hen- 
derson. 865 Lov/ell looms. Sheeting. Taylor 
G. Moredock. 

LOUISIANA. 

LANE COTTON MILLS, New^ Orleans. 
368 looms. 190 Lewiston, no Lowell and 
68 Whitin. Drills, Ducks and C)snaburgs. 
Wm. Arlt. 

MAGINNIS COTTON MILLS, New Or- 
leans. 1164100ms. 819 Whitin, 289 Cromp- 
ton and 56 English. Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. John Nutall. 

MISSISSIPPI. 

TOMBIGBEE MILLS, Columbus. 256 
looms. 134 Lowell, 102 Whitin and 20 other 
makes. Sheeting and Osnaburgs. W. R- 
Ledbetter. 

NATCHEZ COTTON MILLS, Natchez. 
336 Lowell looms. Drills. J. C. Hewett. 

ROSALIE COTTON MILLS, Natchez. 
240 Lowell looms. Fine Sheeting and Drills. 
Thomas. F. Hall. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 97 

STONEWALL MF'G CO., Stonewall 
Station. 492 Lowell looms. Towels, Sheeting, 
Drills, Ducks and Onasburgs. J. S. Crane. 

MISSISSIPPI MILLS, Wesson. 768100ms. 
404 Crompton, 114 Bridesburg, 112 Lowell, 
78 Thomas and 60 Gilbert. Checks, Plaids 
and Fancy Goods. John F. Thompson. 

NORTH CAROLINA. 

ASHEVILLE COTTON MILLS, Ashe- 
ville. 420 looms. 220 Crompton, and 200 
Bridesburg. Plaids, Cottonades, Chevoits, 
Hickories, Ducks, etc. E. D. McCollum. 

AURORA COTTON MILLS, Burling- 
ton. 220 looms. Plaids and Checks. (No 
Overseer.) 

BELLMONT COTTON MILLS, Osce- 
ola. 126 Wood looms. Plaids, C. L. Hutch- 
eson. 

ELMIRA COTTON MILLS, Burling- 
ton. 384 looms. 254 Woods and 130 Cromp- 
ton. Plaids, Stripes, etc. H. C. Fowler. 

GLENCOE COTTON MILLS, Burling- 
ton. 186 Wood's looms. Stripes, Cheviots, 
Plaids and Domets. M. M. Marshall. 

E. M. HOLT PLAID MILLS, Burling- 
ton. 140100ms. 100 Woods and 40 Brides- 
burg. Ginghams. J. H. Erwin, General 
Manager. 

13 



98 Loom-Fixing and Weaving, 

LAKESIDE MILLS, Burlington. 150 
looms. Plaids. G. M. Holt. 

WINSOR COTTON MILLS, Burling- 
ton. 146 looms. 80 Woods and 66 Cromp- 
ton. Plaids, Stripes and Cottonades. W. H, 
Councilman. 

CHARLOTTE COTTON MILLS, Char- 
lotte. 248 Stafford looms. Plain, White 
Goods. 

HIGHLAND PARK MF'G CO., Charlotte, 
410 looms. 240 Knowles and 170 Crompton, 
Ginghams, Dress Plaids and Heavy Shirting, 
Kenneth Giles. 

PATTERSON MF'G CO., China Grove, 

130 Lowell looms. Sheeting. Jno. F. Miller, 

CABARRUS COTTON MILLS, Concord, 

278 looms. 170 Lowell and 108 Whitin, 

Brown Sheeting. W. S. Linder. 

CANNON MF'G CO., Concord. 26a 
Lowell looms. Brown Sheeting. T. H, 
Stiefel. 

ODELL MF'G COMPANY, Concord, 
Mills, Nos. I, 2 and 3. 335 looms. 256 
Bridesburg, 50 Whitin, 22 Woods and seven 
other makes. Gingl>ams, Domets, Sheeting 
and Towells. J. A. Kennett. 

Mill No. 4. 966 looms. 906 Whitin and 
60 Lowell. Coarse and Fine Sheeting. R. 
F. Coble. 

PEARL COTTON MILLS, Durham. 180 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 



99 



Crompton looms. Wide Sheeting. P. T. 
Geddens. 

DURHAM COTTON MF'G CO., Dur- . 
ham. 340 . looms. 200 Bridesburg, 6S 
Whitin, 60 Crompton and 12 Lowell. Do- 
mets, Gingham and Bleaching, W. B. Ray- 
ner. 

ERWIN COTTON MILLS, Durham. 360 
looms. 160 Whitin, 150 Crompton and 50 
Lowell. Draperies, Muslins and Fancy 
Goods. Edward Terryberry. 

ALT AMAH AW COTTON MILLS, Elon 

College. 304100ms. 118 Whitin, 100 Mu- 
tual, 52 Crompton and 34 Knowles. Fancy 
Duck. J. E. Wicker. 

OSSIPEE COTTON MILLS, Elon College 
202 looms. 140 Woods and 62 Crompton. 
Cottonades, Plaids, etc. Jas. N. William- 
son, Jr. 

GASTONIA COTTON MF'G CO., Gas- 
tonia. 135 Lowell looms. Fine Sheeting. 
Geo. A. Gray, Supt. 

MODENA COTTON MILLS, Gastonia. 
200 Lowell looms. Fine Sheeting. W. T. 
Storey. 

MINEOLAMF'GCO., Gibsonville. 168 
looms, 64 Crompton and 104 other makes. 
Ginghams, Thos. G. Moser. 

BELMONT COTTON MILLS, Graham. 



loo Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

126 Woods looms. Six-yard Plaids. C. L, 
Hutcheson. 

ONEIDA COTTON MILLS, Graham, 
383 looms. Plaids. A. L. Bain, Sup't. 

GRANITE MF'G CO., Haw River. 436 
looms. Plaids and Cheviots. J. Thompson. 

THOS. M. HOLT MF^G CO., Haw 
River. 252 Crompton looms. Ginghams, 
W. J. Thompson. 

HENRIETTA MILLS, Henrietta. 1446 
looms. 1422 Whitin and 24 LowelL Sheet- 
ing, Shirting and Pereale. J. W. Manly. 

EMPIRE PLAID MILLS, High Point. 
ii2looms. 94Bridesburg, 12 Lowell and six 
other makes. Plaids. E. J. Steed. 

HOPE MILL MF'G CO., Hope Mills. 
336100ms. 171 Bridesburg, ii Knowles and 
254 other makes. Cottonades, Tickings 
Domets and Fancy Shirting. Neill T. 
Brown. 

VIRGIN COTTON MILLS, Hunters- 
ville. 100 looms. Sheeting. T. Brinkley^ 

MT. PLEASANT COTTON MILLS, 
Kimeville. loi looms. Mutual and Brides- 
burg. Plaids. D. M. Neese. 

DILLING COTTON MILLS, King's 
Mountain. 553 Stafford looms. Print Cloth. 
G. G. Boon. 

KING'S MOUNTAIN MF'G CO., 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. ioi 

King's Mountain. 150 Stafford looms. Fine 
Sheeting. C. W. Richardson. 

LEAKS VILLE COTTON MILLS, 

Leaksville. 174 looms. Ginghams. (No 
Overseer.) 

WENNON AH MILLS, Lexington. 377 
looms. 166 Lowell and 211 other makes. 
White and Colored Goods. W. E. Holt, Jr. 

McADEN MILLS, McAdenville. 320 
Bridesburg looms. Plaids and Colored 
Goods. Oliver Senior. 

MOORESVILLE COTTON MILLS, 

Mooresville. 106 Whitin Looms. Wide 
Sheeting. 

W. I. HOOPER MF'G CO., Mt. Island. 
104 looms. 64 Bridesbm"g and 40 Knowls. 
Plaids. (No Overseer.) 

CAROLEIGH MILLS, Raleigh. 336 
looms. 192 Crompton, 72 Stafford and 72 
Whitin. Dress Gingham. John A. Drew. 

' PILOT COTTON MILLS, Raleigh. 
204 looms. 174 Crompton, 20 Lowell and 
10 Whitin. Chambrays and Plaids. W. H. 
Williamson, 

COLUMBIA MF'G CO., Ramseur. 260 
245 Whitin looms. Sheeting. W. C. York. 

NAOMI FALLS MF'G CO., Randleman. 
260 looms. 160 Bridesburg and 100 Cromp- 



I02 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

ton. Plaids, Cheviots and Ginsfhams. A. C. 
Hanner. 

PLAIDVILLE MF'G CO., Randleman. 
140 looms. Plaids. J. O. Pickard, Sup't. 

RANDLEMAN MF'G CO., Randleman. 
224 looms. J. O. Pickard, Sup't. 

GREAT FALLS MF'G CO., Rocking- 
ham. 134 looms. Sheeting. S W. Steel. 

PEE DEE MF'G CO., Rockingham. 300 
looms. 210 Woods, 70 Knowles and 20 
Pettee. Plaids, Hickories and Coat Lin- 
ings. Geo. Warburton. 

ROBERDELL MF'G CO., Rockingham. 
300 looms. 60 Bridesburg, 180 Mutual, 50 
Knowles and 10 English. Domestics and 
Ginghams. D. M. Nordan. 

ARISTA MILLS, Salem. 180 looms. 
102 Whitin and 78 Crompton. Checks, 
Stripes, Sheeting and Duck. Fred C. Hege. 

SALISBURY COTTON MILLS, Salis- 
bury. 503 looms. 301 Whitin, 200 Cromp- 
tonand 2 Knowles. Ginghams and Cheviot. 
J. L. Odell. 

STATESVILLE COTTON MILLS, 
Statesville. 180 Stafford looms. Fine 
Sheeting. G. D. Ebuank. 

VIRGINIA COTTON MILLS, Swep- 
sonville. 150 Crompton looms. Cotton 
Cloth. D. F. Williams. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 103 

WILMINGTON COTTON MILLS, 

Wilmington. 226 looms. 156 Petee, 46 
Knowls and 24Whitin. Checks and'Stripes. 
R. A. Barnett. 

WORTH MF'G CO., Worthville. 198 
looms. i76Lowell, 2oLewiston, 2English. 
Sheeting, Bags and Plaids. W. G. Aldridge. 

SOUTH CAROLINA. 

ANDERSON COTTON MILLS, Ander- 
son. 600 Whitin looms. Sheeting. W, H. 
Rodger s. 

BATESBURG COTTON MILLS, Bates- 
burg. 100 Mason looms. Sheeting. J. N. 
Buffi ngton. 

BAMBURG COTTON MILLS, Bam- 
burg. 112 looms. Fine Sheeting. S. H. 
Went worth. 

AIKEN MF'G CO., Bath. 412 Mason 
looms. Sheeting, Shirting and Drills. J. 
M. Timmerman. 

CHEROKEE FALLS MF'G CO., Blacks- 
burg, 160 Wide Looms. Sheeting. 

KERSHAW MF'G CO., Camden. 350 
Whitin looms. Sheeting. S, C. Thomas, 

CHARLESTON COTTON MILLS, 
Charleston, 720 looms, 464 Lowell and 
256 Whitin. Sheeting, Shirting and Drills, 
T, S. Bolton. 



I04 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

CATAWBA COTTON MILLS, Chester. 
430 Knowles looms. Fancy Gingham. J. 
C. Bowhing. 

CLIFTON MILLS, Clifton. No. i, 799 
looms. Sheeting and Drills. M. E. Mc- 
Guinn. 

No. 2. 877 looms. 629 Whitin.and 248 

Lowell. Sheeting and Drills. T. J. Bigby. 

No. 3. 1200 Lowell looms. (No yet run- 
ning) 

RICHLAND MILLS, Columbia 750 
Stafford looms. Fine Sheeting and Drills. 
L. A. Hughes. 

COWPENS MF'G CO., Cowpens. 204 
Lowell looms. Fine Sheeting. S. C. 
Thomas. 

DARLINGTON MF'G CO., Darlington. 
384 Whitin looms. Drills and Sheeting. 
A. F. Northcott. 

ENOREE MF'G CO., Enoree. 820 (^ol- 
vin looms. Sheeting and Drills. J. J. 
Rodgers. 

FORT MILLS MF'G CO., Fort Mills. 
423100ms. 276 Woods, 75 Crompton and 
72 Bridesburg. Gingham, Shirting and 
Ducks. S. W. Wells. 

MILL FORT MF'G CO., Fort Mills. 160 
looms. 100 Crompton and 60 Whitin. 
Sheeting and Shirting. W. C. Burnett. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 105 

FAIRMOUNT MF'G CO., Fairmount. 
104 Stafford looms. Flour Sacks. Jas. 
Thomas. 

GAFFNEY MF'G CO., Gaffney. 1300 
looms. 1000 Northrop and 300 Whitin. 
Sheeting' and Prints. 

GRANITEVILLE MF'G CO., Granite- 
ville. 744 looms. 542 English and 202 
Lowell. Sheeting, Shirting and Drills. G. 
G. Berry. 

GLENDALE MILLS, Glendale. 518 
Lowell looms. Sheeting, Shirting and 
Drills. J. L. Weathers. 

HUGENOT MILLS, Greenville. 230 
looms. 90 Woods, 79 Bridesburg, 34 Lowell 
and 27 Crompton. Plaids, Cottonades, Chevi- 
ots, Domets, etc. J. W. Black. 

F. W. POE MF'G CO., Greenville, 250 
looms. Sheeting. (Not yet started.) 

GREENWOOD COTTON MILLS, 

Greenwood. 360 looms. 180 Whitin and 
180 Lowell. Sheeting. J. D. Summey. 

SAXE GOTHA MILLS, Irene. 224 
Whitin Looms. Fine Sheeting. Jas. W. 
Thompson. 

LANGLEY MF'G CO., Langley. 1284 
Lowell looms. Sheeting, Shirting and Drills- 
John W. Anderson. 
14 



io6 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

LEXINGTON MF'G CO., Lexington. 
io8 Kilburn and Lincoln looms. Bed Tick- 
ing and Drills. L. W. Redd. 

LOCKHARDT SHOALS MF'G CO., 
Lockhardt Shoals. 600 Looms. Fine Sheet- 
ing. W. H. Hufurst. 

NEWBERRY COTTON MILLS, New- 
berry. 874 Whiting looms. Sheeting, Shir- 
ting and Drills. John Nutall. 

COURTENEY MF'G CO., Newberry. 
540 Stafford looms. Fine Sheeting and 
Twills. Fred Holt. 

PACOLET MF'G CO., Pacolet. 1946 
looms. Whitin, Lowell and Pettee, Fine 
Sheeting. J. A. Young. 

PELZER MF'G CO., Pelzer. Nos. i. 
2 and 3, 1 71 7 Lowell looms. Drills and 
Plaids. John W. Johnson. 

No. 4, 1400 looms. 1000 Northorp and 
400 Stafford. Drills and Sheeting. W. C. 
Coble. 

PIEDMONT MF'G CO., Piedmont. 1790 
Whitin looms. Sheeting and Drills. W. R. 
Roberts. 

REEDY RIVER MF'G CO., Reedy 
River Factory. 156 looms. Sheeting and 
Drills. (No overseer.) 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 107 

ROCK HILL COTTON FACTORY, 

Rock Hill. 192 Stafford looms. Sheeting 
and Drills. W, T. Whitaker. 

STANDARD COTTON MILLS, Rock 
Hill. 486 Crompton looms. Fine Ginghams 
and Shirting. J. G. Luther. 

SPARTAN MILLS, Spartanburg, iioo 
looms. Sheeting and Shirting. M. G. 
Stone, Supt. x 

UNION MILLS, Union. 350 looms. 
Sheetin^f. W. E. Serm. 

TUCKAPAU MILLS, Welford. 320 
Northrop looms. Print Cloth. G. C, Pruitt. 

WHITNEY MF'G CO., Whitney. 310 
Whitin looms. Sheeting. H. F. Moody. 

TENNESSEE. 

COLUMBIA COTTON MILLS, Colum- 
bia. 136 looms. 102 Colvin, 24 Lewiston 
and 10 Lowell. Sheeting, Drills and Seam- 
less Bags. (No overseer.) 

GREAT FALLS COTTON MILLS, 
Great Falls. i'32 looms. 122 Mason and 
10 Lowell. Sheeting. W. C. Cantrell. 

BROOKSIDE MILLS, Knoxville. 626 
looms. 450 Stafford and 176 Colvin. Ducks, 
Sheeting and Drills. J. W. White, 

BLUFF CITY COTTON MILLS, Mem- 
phis. 252 looms. Sheeting. 



io8 Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 

PHCENIX COTTON MILLS, Nashville. 
508 looms. 227 Lowell, 202 Woods, 70 Brides- 
burg and 9 Crompton. Ginghams, Plaids, 
Demins, Ticking, Towles, Sheeting, Draper- 
ies, etc. W. D. McGuinn. 

SYLVAN MILLS, Shelbyville,. 104 
Lowell Looms. Sheeting. Ed Pickup. 

TENNESSEE MF'G GO., Nashville. 400 
Lowell looms. Sheeting, Shirting Linings 
and Drills. P. H. O'Neill. 

TRENTON COTTON MILLS, Trenton. 
150 looms. 145 Lowell and 5 Knowles. 
Sheeting and Drills. Geo. Evereth, Supt.' 

TEXAS. 

GALVESTON COTTON AND WOOL- 
EN MILL. Galveston. 590 looms. 578 
Whiting and 12 Crompton. Demins, Che- 
viots, Ticking and Sheeting. John M. Sar- 
gent. 

VIRGINIA. 

RIVERSIDE MILLS, Danville. 2241 
looms. 1300 Crompton, 652 Lowell and 289 
Lewiston, Plaids, Stripes and Heavy Sheet- 
ing. Geo. W. Robertson. 

ETTRICK MF'G CO., Ettrick. 262 
looms. 150 Empire, 100 Colvin and 12 
Lowell. Print Cloth, Fancy Duck, Drills, 
Sheeting and Shirting. Watt P. Kelly. 

LYNCHBURG COTTON MILLS, Lynch- 
burg. 704 looms. Sheetings, Sateens and 
Prints. O. B. Tilton, Supt. 



Loom-Fixing and Weaving. 109 

MARSHAL MF'G CO., Marshal. 230 
looms. Sheeting. G. A. Peple, Supt, 

MATOOCA MF'G CO., Matooca. 346 
looms. 143 English. 84 Lowell and 119 other 
makes. Sheeting, Drills and Fancy Goods. 
J. S. Holt. 

POCAHONTAS MILLS, Petersburg. 119 
looms. 71 Lowell, 8 Bridesburg and 40 Eng- 
lish. Sheeting, Drills and Ducks. W. O. 
Tucker. 

BLUE RIDGE MF'G CO., Petersburg. 
107 looms. Sheeting and Drills. E. H. 
Blakenny. 



Cotton Mill Repairs 



—AT— 



Ciaarlotte, N. C. 



The D. A. Tomkins Co. have equipped at 
Charlotte a complete shop for Cotton Mill 
Repairs. Amongst the work the Companv 
is especially fitted to do is the following : 

1. Covering Drawing Rolls, 

2. Renewing Roll Necks, 

3. Renecking bottom Steel Drawing Rolls, 

4. Renewing Flutes in bottom Steel Draw- 

ing Rolls, 

5. Cutting Change Gears. 

Also, all other Cotton INIill Repairs. 

We guarantee a saving of money. Send 
ns yonr work. 

The D. A. Tompkins Co., 

CHARLOTTE, N. C. 




The American 

DROSOPHORE CO. 



150 Devonshire Street, 
BOSTON, 

WM. FIRTH, Manager. 

The DrOSOphore makes 
a perfect Spinning- or Weav- 
ing atmosphere in any climate or weather. Any degree of 
Humidity is obtainable. Will warm the air in cold weath- 
er and cool it in hot weather. Purifies the air, and is 
healthier for the work people. 

Three Glod Medals Awarded 

Amiens, 1894. The Only Hu-nidifier that stood the 
Reims, 1895. test, ATLANTA EXPOSITION, 1895. 

The Gold Medal Double 
Nozzle Drosophore has no 
wearing parts, uses less wa- 
ter, gives a finer spray and 
more humidity than any 
other form of Humidifier. 

The above company has! 
delivered since Feb'y, 1895,' 
over 3000 of these machines. 

With a view to meet the 
wishes of parties who desire 
a cheaper apparatus than the 
Double No'^zle Drossophore 
or where a humidifier is re- 
quired for small rooms, and where a humidifier giving so 
fine a spray or the amount of moisture is not required, we 
make a Single Nozzle Drosophore which is guananteed 
the most efficient Single Nozzle Humidifier on the market. 

ESTABLISHED 1844! 

KILBURN, LINCOLN & CO., 

Fall River, Mass. 

« 

Builders of Cotton and Silk Looms for Plain 
and Fancy Weaving. Also makers of Shaft- 
ing, Hangers, Pulleys and Appurtenances for 
the Transmission of Power. 




H. S. CHADWICK, President and Treasurer 

:e ^ Madiine ^ ConiDai 



'hniTi^ mni,u\ur, inimunuv 

Engineers, Contractors and Dealers in 
MACHINERY. 

SPECIALTY 

Cotton Machineiy and Cotton Mill Equipment 

Sole Southern Agents for 

The A. T. ATHERTON MACHINE GO'S Patent 
Cotton Feeders, Openers and Lappers. 

PETTEE MACHINE WORKS' Revolving Flat- 
Cards, Coiler Railway Heads and Drawing Frames. 
. PROVIDENCE MACHINE CO'S Roving Machinery 

FALES & JENKS MACHINE CO'S Spinning ana 
Twisting Machinery. 

E ASTON & BURNHAM MACHINE CO'S Spoohng 
Machinery. 

COHOES IRON FOUNDRY AND MACHINE CO'S 
Slashers. 

KNOWLES LOOM WORKS' Plain and Fancy 
Looms, Dobbies. 

CURTIS & MARBLE MACHINE CO'S Cloth Room 
Machinery. 

THE CORLISS STEAM MACHINE CO'S Corliss 
Engines; High Pressure, Triple Expansion Compound 
and Condensing. Boilers, Heaters, Pumps. 

BOOMER & BOSCHERT PRESS CO'S Bailing 
Presses. 

THE UNITED STATES AEROPHOR AIR-MOIST- 
ENING AND VENTILATING CO'S American Vortex 
Humidifier for Textile Factories. 

Special Agents for 

Jones &Laughlin's Gold Rolled Steel Shafting, Com- 
pression Couplings, Hangers, Pulleys, &o 

The Central Electric Go's Electrical Apparatus and 
Material of all kinds, including Electric Light and 
Power Transmission Plants. 

B. F. Sturtevant Go's Heating and Ventilating Sys- 
tem. Blowers, Portable Forges, and Steam Engines. 

Office and Exhibition Rooms, 202 ^.nd 204, 
South Tryon Street, CHARLOTTE, N. C. 



237 90 



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